Groundwater

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Rivers are the arteries of the planet, delivering most of the fresh surface water people use. An estimated 263 international river basins cover about 50 % of the Earth’s surface, yet by volume they carry about 2,120 km3, or about 6/1,000 of one % of total water (Table 1). Approximately 40 % of the world’s population live in river basins that comprise two or more countries. According to the United Nations, 145 countries have territory within international basins. While most basins are shared between just two countries, there are many basins where this number is much higher. There are 13 basins worldwide that are shared between 5 and 8 riparian nations. Five basins—the Congo, Niger, Nile, Rhine and Zambezi—are shared between 9 and 11 countries. The river that flows through the most nations is the Danube, which travels within the territory of 18 nations (United Nations, 2014).
At least thirty-three countries depend on other countries for over 50 % of their renewable water resources. These countries include: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodia,...

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