Page 3 - ING-Waterproblematiek Report
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Agriculture top water user at a global level
Water is everywhere but freshwater is not Global freshwater use Total use approx. 3,500
The importance of water is unquestioned. There is no life (% of total water usage) billion m3 per annum
without water and trends such as global warming and an
increasing world population put water at the forefront. Agriculture Industrial Municipal
Water, for example, is a key pillar in the UN Sustainable
Development Goals. The World Economic Forum identified 67% 21% 12%
water supply crises as one of the top risks with the highest
impact on the planet in the 21st century. Agricultural Industrial Municipal
At first glance, water is seemingly abundant with oceans 18 0,4 2 US/Canada
and seas accounting for 97.5% of water. This leaves 17 Europe
freshwater, which is vital for life and used in many industrial 5 30 35 MENA
processes, accounting for only 2.5% of the global water 9 46 17 Latam
supply. Of this 2.5%, the majority is held in ice and glaciers 4,5 5 Asia & Oceania
and not readily available. Only groundwater and surface & 8 2 Sub-Saharan Africa
atmospheric water can be obtained easily, and even then, it 65 26 11
is not possible to reach a large proportion of groundwater.
All in all, an estimated 0.1% of the water on earth can be
obtained as freshwater.
Globally, agriculture currently consumes the most
Approximately 3,500 billion m3 of water globally is
withdrawn every year from the fresh water resources. Most
of this water (67%) is used in agriculture, mainly for
irrigation purposes, while 21% is used for industrial purposes
and 12% for municipal usage.
Asia accounts for US, Canada and Europe Populated Asia accounts for
two-thirds of agricultural account for 60% of for almost half of global
industrial water use municipal water use
water use
Source: ING calculations, based on Aquastat.
ING Economics Department 3 Too little, too much / December 2015
