Where Groundwater Is (Not) Scarce

Groundwater is in short supply in many countries. This is the result of a study by the think tank World Resource Institute (WRI). The study analyzed data from 189 countries in 2019, from which an index was created to determine the respective risk of groundwater shortages. Particularly dramatic is the situation in the countries Qatar, Israel, Lebanon and Iran. The index measures the ratio of total water withdrawals to available renewable surface and groundwater supplies; withdrawals include domestic use as well as industry, irrigation, livestock, and others.

The uneven distribution of water as a resource and the high consumption of industrialized and emerging economies have led to a global water shortage. Poorer areas are particularly affected, and they are also increasingly struggling with droughts and dry periods due to the consequences of climate change. Various sources predict that wars and conflicts over water will increase in the future for this reason.