Water

Fresh water is the material people move most: about 3,855 km³ withdrawn in 2022, 71% for farming, scarce where demand concentrates.

Water · No. 1

• Not on a critical list
• HHI 743 · unconcentrated

India pulls more fresh water from the ground and rivers than any other nation: about 648 cubic kilometres in 2022.

Chart: Illustration: Water

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Water comes from rivers, reservoirs and aquifers, and a little from desalinated seawater or recycled wastewater. Desalination is under 1% of what the world withdraws.

Three things to know

1. Desalination still provides under 1% of global withdrawals, yet it supplies about 3.5% in the Middle East and North Africa.
2. A cubic metre of water weighs a tonne, so moving it far is costly and almost every water market stays local.
3. Turning seawater into drinking water by reverse osmosis takes about 4 kWh per cubic metre, roughly 20 times conventional treatment.

The journey

1. 1 Rain and snowFeeds rivers, lakes, aquifers and glaciers
2. 2 AbstractionDams, canals, tube wells and desalination plants
3. 3 TreatmentCleaned to farm, factory or drinking standard
4. 4 DeliveryCanals, pipes and tankers to users
5. 5 ReturnWastewater treated, reused or sent back

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