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EDUCATIONAL FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT WATER Because 70% of the Earth is covered by water, it is called the ‘Blue Planet’. Yet only 2.5% of the world’s water is freshwater, while 97.5% is oceans. Only 0.3% of the world’s freshwater is available from rivers, lakes and reservoirs; 30% is groundwater, while the rest is stored in distant glaciers, ice sheets, and mountainous areas – all places that we can hardly access. Raindrops are not tear-shaped. Scientists, using high-speed cameras, have discovered that raindrops resemble the shape of a small hamburger bun. About two thirds of the human body is water. Some parts of the body contain more water than others. For example, 70% of your skin is water. You can survive about a month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water. Most of our food is made up of water: tomatoes (95%), spinach (91%), milk (90%), apples (85%), potatoes (80%), beef (61%), hot dogs (56%). More than half of the world's animal and plant species live in an aquatic environment. The Nile River is the world's longest river. It flows 6,671 kilometres from its headwaters to the Mediterranean Sea. The largest river basin in the world is the Amazon River Basin. It covers about 6,145,186 km2. Lake Superior (United States and Canada) is 563 km long, 257 km wide, and covers an area of more than 82,000 km2, which makes it the largest freshwater lake in the world. Lake Baikal, situated in south-east Siberia, is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve. Known as the 'Galapagos of Russia', its age and isolation have produced one of the world's richest and most unusual freshwater faunas. Within 25 years, half the world’s population could have trouble finding enough freshwater for drinking and irrigation. Currently, over 80 countries, representing 40% of the world’s people, are subject to serious water shortages. Conditions may get worse in the next 50 years as populations grow and as global warming disrupts rainfall patterns. A third of the world lives in water stressed areas where consumption outstrips supply. South West Asia faces the greatest threat. Over 90% of the region’s population is experiencing severe water stress, with water consumption exceeding 10% of renewable freshwater resources.
Information from: Source: UNESCO Water Portal, November 2005
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