Attachments
Freshwater - a natural resource which has been
adopted as a human right by the UN in 2002: 'the human right to water entitles
everyone to sufficient; affordable; physically accessible; safe and acceptable
water for personal and domestic uses'. People depend on this resource for
drinking and cooking, for irrigation of farms, for hygiene and sanitation
and for power generation. The map presenting this resource only focuses
on one part of the geography of freshwater - other aspects are the groundwater
resources of the world (including fossil water) and the water stored in
soils, ice sheets and glaciers. For the 2.5 billion people living in low-income
countries, agriculture is the most important sector by employment, and
by far the largest user of water. Irrigated land currently produces 40%
of the world's food on 17% of the agricultural land. Hydro-electricity
is the key power source of 26 Sub-Saharan countries, and for another 13
countries, it is the second main power source. The map is a part of a set,
presenting different natural resources, with a focus on developing countries,
and the use of natural resources for economic growth and poverty alleviation.
Sources: UNH/GRDC. 2000. Composite
Runoff Fields V 1.0, World Runoff Data. http://www.grdc.sr.unh.edu/html/Data/index.html
(Accessed April 27, 2008)
Cartographer / Designer: Hugo Ahlenius,
UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Note: Map production date estimated