Introduction to the inventory

Over 40% of the world’s population resides in shared water basins. Human settlements, agriculture and industry have proliferated along shared surface waters that have been the cradles of civilizations, while increased capacity for groundwater abstraction has created new opportunities for development and expansion around transboundary aquifers. There is a general consensus in the international community that there are 263 shared river basins and over 300 transboundary aquifers and aquifer systems in the world.

Related Subject(s): Natural Resources Water and Energy