Freshwater
Water resources and ecosystems that support people, livelihoods, and life on Earth.
Freshwater includes water in rivers, lakes, wetlands, glaciers, soil, and underground aquifers. It moves through a connected water cycle and supports drinking water, sanitation, food production, ecosystems, and many livelihoods. Water is renewable through that cycle, but usable supplies are limited by location, timing, quality, infrastructure, and competing needs.
A basin's water availability changes with seasons, rainfall, evaporation, storage, and upstream withdrawals. Surface water and groundwater can be connected, so pumping or land-use changes may affect springs, rivers, wetlands, and downstream users. Water quality and reliable access matter alongside total volume; a local water assessment should name the place, source, period, and measure used.
Water planning involves households, farms, industry, public services, and ecosystems that depend on the same basin. Useful decisions monitor withdrawals and quality, protect watersheds and freshwater habitats, reduce avoidable losses, and include affected communities in governance. Water rights, scarcity thresholds, and responsibilities vary by place; use current local data and rules rather than treating a global indicator as a local conclusion.
Take this topic further
Turn “Freshwater” into a learning path
The Learning Studio will use this page’s overview and key ideas to shape a guided lesson, practice questions, and a small project around what you want to understand.
Related GiveGigs pages and features
Explore connected GiveGigs pages and tools for context and next steps.