How much water is there in the world
Water is one of the most precious resources on earth, covering 71% of the earth’s surface, but do you know how much water there is on earth? This article will combine hot topics and hot content in the past 10 days to reveal the distribution and current status of water resources on the earth through structured data.
Total amount of water resources on Earth

The total amount of water resources on the earth is about 1.386 billion cubic kilometers, most of which is sea water, and fresh water only accounts for a very small proportion. The following is the distribution of water resources on the earth:
| Water resources type | Volume (cubic kilometers) | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| sea water | 1,338,000,000 | 96.5% |
| glaciers and ice caps | 24,064,000 | 1.74% |
| groundwater | 23,400,000 | 1.69% |
| lakes and rivers | 190,000 | 0.01% |
| Atmospheric water vapor | 12,900 | 0.001% |
Hot topics in the past 10 days: Global water crisis
Recently, extreme weather and water shortages have caused widespread concern in many places around the world. The following are hot topics related to water in the past 10 days:
| hot events | area | influence |
|---|---|---|
| Drought intensifies in Europe | Spain, Italy | Reduced agricultural production and shortage of drinking water |
| Amazon rainforest drought | Brazil | River levels drop to record lows |
| India's battle for water resources | south india | Conflicts broke out in many places |
| Water levels drop in western U.S. reservoirs | california | Government issues water restrictions |
scarcity of fresh water
Although there are abundant water resources on the earth, less than 1% of fresh water is available for direct human use. The following is the distribution of global freshwater resources:
| Freshwater resource type | Volume (cubic kilometers) | Proportion of freshwater resources |
|---|---|---|
| glaciers and ice caps | 24,064,000 | 68.7% |
| groundwater | 23,400,000 | 30.1% |
| lake | 91,000 | 0.26% |
| river | 2,120 | 0.006% |
Future challenges for water resources
With population growth and climate change, global water stress is increasing. The following are possible challenges ahead:
1.climate change impacts: Extreme weather events are increasing, leading to frequent droughts or floods in some areas.
2.population growth: By 2050, the global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion, and the demand for water resources will increase significantly.
3.pollution problem: Industrial and domestic sewage discharges lead to a reduction in available freshwater resources.
4.uneven distribution: Some areas are rich in water resources, while others are severely water-scarce.
How to protect water resources?
In the face of the water crisis, everyone has a role to play:
- Save water and avoid waste.
- Support water conservation policies.
- Reduce water pollution and rationally treat wastewater.
- Pay attention to global water resources issues and raise environmental awareness.
Although water resources are abundant on the earth, the fresh water available for human use is extremely limited. Through scientific management and global cooperation, we can ensure water security for future generations.
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