Water has shaped human civilisation throughout history and will continue to play a crucial role in the future. Despite the abundance of water on Earth, only a small portion is freshwater found in rivers, lakes, glaciers, and underground aquifers. Human activity has further strained these resources through pollution, over-extraction, and ecosystem disruption.

Among nations,Brazil stands outfor its freshwater resources, largely due to the Amazon basin, the world’s largest river system by volume. Other water-rich countries includeRussia, with extensive rivers and Lake Baikal—the world’s deepest freshwater lake, andCanada, home to over two million lakes including the Great Lakes shared with the U.S., which together account for about 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.

TheUnited StatesandChinaalso rank high, benefiting from large landmass and diverse river systems. Even in these water-abundant nations, concerns remain over industrial usage, ecosystem protection, and Indigenous water rights.

India, while rich in rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra and Himalayan glaciers, faces low per-capita freshwater availability due to high population and rising demand.

Measured purely by natural endowment, Canada holds the largest share of freshwater on the planet, but the global freshwater challenge requires sustainable management to secure this vital resource for the future.