Water-rich countries: countries with plentiful fresh water supplies

Large countries with plenty of land for rain to fall on (e.g., Russia, Canada, China)

Countries with the world's greatest rivers flowing through them (e.g., Amazon, Yangtze, Mississippi)

Big areas do not ensure water availability (e.g., Australia, Argentina, Sudan) due to substantial desert areas

Water-poor countries: countries with scarce fresh water supplies 

• Dominated by desert countries 

• Exceptions: Singapore and Mauritius receive high precipitation, but are tiny island states with only small areas for rain to fall on 

  
  

Water conflict: conflict between countries, states, or groups over access to water  resources 

Physical water scarcity: not enough water to meet both human demands and those of ecosystems to function effectively 

• Arid regions frequently suffer from physical water scarcity 

• Also occurs where water seems abundant but resources are over-committed 

  
  

Economic water scarcity: caused by a lack of investment in water infrastructure or insufficient human capacity to satisfy the demand for water in areas where the population cannot afford to use an adequate source of water 

Access to safe drinking water: 

• Urban areas have higher access than rural areas 

• Cities are wealthier places with factories and offices

• On average, people's incomes are higher in cities 

• Easier to put pressure on politicians or leaders to make improvements  

• Wealthy people are more likely to live in cities 

• Water pipes are easier and cheaper to build when a lot of people live close together

Past paper processes: 

• Water-rich vs water-poor regions and potential for water conflict  

• Access to safe drinking water in urban and rural areas

Written by Avik Singh

Curated by Quinn Luong