These were the current situation in 2009. Most part of Asia, North and South America and Africa are suffering from agricultural droughts.

The size of countries displayed is in proportion with the number of people who died from droughts there between 1975 and 2005. 98% of deaths: Ethiopia, Sudan and Mozambique.

Glaciers and ice caps cover about 10% of the world’s landmass. These are concentrated in Greenland and Antarctica and contain 70% of the world’s freshwater. Unfortunately, most of these resources are located far from human habitation and are not readily accessible for human use. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 96% of the world’s frozen freshwater is at the South and North Poles, with the remaining 4% spread over 550,000 km2 of glaciers and mountainous icecaps measuring about 180,000 km3 (UNEP, 1992; Untersteiner, 1975; WGMS, 1998, 2002).

This graphic shows the availability of freshwater through average river flows and groundwater recharge, in cubic metres per capita per year, at the national level in the year 2000. The graphic highlights the countries with the least freshwater resources (Egypt and the United Arab Emirates) and those with the most (Suriname and Iceland).