Countries richest in tropical forests. Countries most endowed with water resources
How does Russia compare to other countries with significant forest reserves? This issue was addressed by scientists from the All-Russian Research Institute of Forestry and Forestry Mechanization (VNIILM), who conducted their own analysis of the processes occurring in Russia and abroad. As a basis for the study, the scientists used the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Global Forest Resources Assessment databases.
The list of countries chosen for comparison with Russia includes 14 states and reflects the diversity of natural and climatic conditions. Of course, many of the data underlying the study are controversial in the scientific world, since the calculation methods used in different countries often do not coincide, and therefore do not allow for a correct comparative analysis. It is no coincidence that VNIILM specialists turned to the database of an international organization, which, although not indisputable, makes it possible to compare different countries in a single coordinate system. The result is the following picture.
The total forest area of the Earth is just over 4 billion hectares. The top three richest forest countries are Russia, Brazil and Canada. Moreover, the forested areas in Russia are 1.5 times larger than the area of the Brazilian jungle.
When it comes to how forests are changing, one of the most dynamic countries is China. From 2000 to 2010, the forest area here increased by 30 million hectares. But Brazil lost 26 million hectares of forest during this period. The Russian Federation demonstrates rare stability: over the past 20 years, the numbers have not changed either positive or negative.
“The high level of wood imports into China has increased pressure on natural forests in neighboring countries,” Russian scientists say. As a result, between 2000 and 2005, the countries of Southeast Asia lost more than 14 million hectares of virgin forests, which were replaced by forest plantations. According to forecasts, if nothing changes, then in 10 years the virgin forests of Southeast Asia may be completely destroyed.
The universal assessment of forest resources at the national level is forest cover. Finland boasts the maximum forest cover (73%), followed by Sweden (69%) and Malaysia and Brazil (62%). The situation is worse than others in Uruguay (10%). Russia, with a forest cover of 49%, is in the middle of the list. Over the past 20 years, forest cover has declined in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia. In other countries, on the contrary, this figure has increased, especially over the past five years.
According to recent estimates, the global timber supply is 527 billion cubic meters. Brazil leads the way with a reserve of 126 billion cubic meters, followed by Russia (81.5 billion cubic meters) and the United States (47 billion cubic meters). These top three account for 60 percent of the world's timber reserves. While in other countries this figure shows stability, in Brazil it has increased by 64 percent over the past five years. VNIILM specialists attribute this to the completion of the forest inventory process, carried out according to the FAO methodology. Most likely, according to VNIILM experts, after the completion of the first stage of the state forest inventory in Russia, this figure will also shoot up.
The largest reserves of wood per 1 hectare were recorded in New Zealand (434 cubic meters), Germany (315 cubic meters) and Brazil (243 cubic meters). Russia, with an indicator of 101 cubic meters per 1 hectare, ranks ninth. As Russian scientists note, Germany's excellent school of forestry and the high quality of forest crops created after the Second World War allowed Germany to reach second place.
The conservation of biological diversity is usually associated with the area of specially protected natural areas. In general, the area of protected areas on the planet increased from 1990 to 2010 by 94 million hectares. But, for example, in Indonesia and Malaysia, on the contrary, it decreased. The largest forest areas under state protection are in Brazil, where protected areas occupy 89.5 million hectares. In Russia, according to international organizations, protected areas occupy 17.5 million hectares. But these are only parks, nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries of federal significance. If we take into account all forests with restrictions on forest use, this is almost 25 percent of the entire forest fund area of Russia.
The state of the forestry industry is characterized by the volume of timber harvested. For many years, the United States remained the leader in this issue. Against the backdrop of the global economic crisis, America and European countries are experiencing a decline in logging, and in the United States they decreased by 59 percent. The crisis influenced the change of leader, which in 2010 became India with a timber harvest of 332 million cubic meters. The United States, slightly behind, takes second place, while Russia traditionally holds fifth position.
But if everything is not so bad with volumes, then the efficiency of logging is “limping” on both legs. While in Uruguay 6.9 cubic meters of wood are removed from one hectare, in Germany and India - 4.9 cubic meters, in Sweden 2.6 cubic meters, in Finland 2.3, in Russia - only 0.2 cubic meters. Only Australia demonstrates a similarly low efficiency rate. According to Russian scientists, the main reason for this situation is the limited number of economically interesting forests, which leads to the need to increase logging areas.
But we are still the first in some things. According to FAO, Russia has the largest area of forests (71.4 million hectares) that perform protective functions. China (more than 60 million hectares) and Brazil (42 million hectares) help us maintain the ecological well-being of the planet.
Wood is one of the world's most essential renewable resources. And wood, both in ancient times and now, is used to make various building materials, interior components and other things people need. Of course, the forest can recover much more slowly than it is cut down by people.
The luckiest countries are those countries that have the most forests. That is, roughly speaking, while one area is being cut down, the rest are already growing rapidly. There are countries where there are practically no forests at all, and there are states where forests occupy the main part. In total, the forest area on the planet exceeds four billion hectares. Those countries with large timber reserves are included in the ranking.
10. India, 65 million hectares of forest
It would seem that the territory of this country is not so much, but, for some reason, India is already in tenth place in the ranking. The fact is that Indian forests are located in the subtropical and tropical zones, that is, deciduous moist forests.
They grow much faster than the familiar oaks, pines and birches. Moreover, in India there are sacred trees that are prohibited from being cut down by the laws of this state. There are a lot of nature reserves where there are even restrictions on entry. Even though trees are sacred, they are still considered a natural resource. There have been repeated news reports that unprotected forests are often cut down. India became the leader in logging in 2010.
9. Peru, 70 million hectares of forest
Not a well-known state. Located in South America. Jungles, broad-leaved forests, which not only grow quickly, but are practically not cut down by anyone.
Peru's population is small, which means there are few domestic consumers. Peru is a small country, the Amazon River flows only through a small part of it, where forests usually grow more intensively.
8. Indonesia, 90 million hectares of forest
Small state, but the forest area is also good. Just like in Peru, the forest is practically not cut down and there is no foreign trade in forest resources. The forests are broad-leaved and tropical, so they grow quickly and in large quantities. Indonesia also has many nature reserves where deforestation and hunting are prohibited.
7. Republic of the Congo, 135 million hectares of forest
The African state of Congo is ahead of Indonesia, as it has more territory, and the forests are already closer to the equatorial areas. A huge number of reserves (15% of the entire territory) do not allow poachers to cut down trees. Equatorial rainforests grow even faster than others.
The soils of the Congo allow forests to grow, since this state stands on the largest river of the same name, which feeds the entire coastal zone with water. Also, this geographical location is characterized by heavy equatorial rains.
6. Australia, 165 million hectares of forest
Similar to the Congo, the number of nature reserves is very large: many sacred places that, according to local residents, should not be visited at all. Sometimes the punishment is death.
The vegetation of this continent corresponds to the types of subequatorial and equatorial forests. It is ahead of the previous leader, most likely due to the difference in territories. Australia is home to one of the largest trees in the world - eucalyptus. Approximately 100 species of woody plants are of industrial importance.
5. People's Republic of China, 200 million hectares of forest
Despite very frequent incidents in terms of poachers, it is in fifth place in the ranking of leaders in timber reserves. Vegetation is transitional: subtropical and tropical. There are also areas where temperate forests predominate.
The same forest performs two functions at once, one of which is the cultivation of silkworms for the production of the famous Chinese silk. The relatively large area of China is not characterized by heavy forest cover, as the population density is off the charts.
4. USA, 305 million hectares of forest
Vegetation of temperate latitudes is characteristic of this country. It is important to note that the forests of the USA are almost the same as Taiga, only smaller in size. The forest is almost never cut down, and on top of that, liability for neglect of nature has been tightened. Such forests are characterized by cedars, birches, oaks, pines, spruces and other valuable species. In general, Americans themselves are thrifty, they buy everything they can and save their own.
Do not forget that there are also a lot of forests on the Alaska Peninsula, only they are characterized by a more forest-tundra feature. One of the largest forests in the United States is the National Forest. It is considered a federal land.
3. Canada, 310 million hectares of forest
Almost the lowest population density is characteristic of Canada. The Canadian forest seems endless to many locals. It is with the low population density that a large amount of forest is associated, since part of Canada is a tundra zone where practically nothing grows. The forests, like those of the USA, are taiga in Russia.
The most popular plant in this country is the Canadian maple, the image of which is featured on the national flag. The most extensive are the Laurentian and Eastern forests of Canada.
2. Brazil, 480 million hectares of forest
In general, the geographical location is very beneficial for its citizens. Brazil occupies about forty-eight percent of the area of all of South America. Many archipelagos and islands. Brazil's forests belong mainly to tropical and equatorial zones.
It comes in second place in the ranking, since forests are growing rapidly and the territory is larger than that of the listed tropical countries. The largest river in South America, the Amazon, also flows here, feeding a huge amount of soil. In addition, forests in Brazil are almost never cut down.
1. Russian Federation, 810 million hectares of forest
World leader in timber reserves. This state has always had a lot of forests, despite very frequent poaching (this also applies to foreign poachers) deforestation, pollution, intensive sale and use of wood. The largest forest in Russia is Taiga. It is located from the Ural Mountains to the Far East. The taiga is still sparsely populated and in some places has not even been studied.
In addition to the Taiga, there are other large forests in Russia, for example the forests of the Caucasus, Central regions, and so on. Large rivers and lakes, a large territory of the country, fertile soil, protection of nature reserves and national parks - all this is favorable for the growth of forests.
Forest area is the area occupied by trees of natural propagation or planted stands of at least 5 meters in height. Garden areas, other agricultural trees, and trees in city parks and gardens are excluded. The area of forest land for each country excludes all plantings within any populated areas (cities and villages). The countries with the largest forest area are shown below.
The list of countries by forest area includes all countries of the world, sorted by the total area of their forests (in square kilometers). The table also shows data on what percentage of the total area of the country is occupied by forests - this indicator makes it possible to determine the most forested countries in the world. Despite the fact that less than 50% of the area in Russia is covered with forests, due to the large area of the country as a whole, Russia is the world leader in forest resources. However, the most forested regions are the regions of Central Africa and South America. The countries most endowed with forest resources besides Russia are Brazil, Canada, USA, China, DR Congo. According to the UN, the world's total forest area at the end of 2015 was 39,991,336.2 km², or about 30.8% of the world's total land area (excluding Antarctica).
The source of the data below is, which collects data from national statistical agencies and from specialized international agencies for the protection and accounting of the planet's forests. In compiling the current table, data from two World Bank tables was used: “ Forest area (% of land area)" And " Forest area (sq. km)". All data on the total forest area are given as of the end 2016 year (the most recent data at the moment). Also attached below is a map of European forests and a map of world forests.
| № | A country | % of country area | Forest area, km2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 49,76% | 8 148 895 |
| 2 | Brazil | 58,93% | 4 925 540 |
| 3 | Canada | 38,16% | 3 470 224 |
| 4 | USA | 33,93% | 3 103 700 |
| 5 | China | 22,35% | 2 098 635 |
| 6 | DR Congo | 67,17% | 1 522 666 |
| 7 | Australia | 16,26% | 1 250 590 |
| 8 | Indonesia | 49,86% | 903 256 |
| 9 | Peru | 57,66% | 738 054 |
| 10 | India | 23,83% | 708 604 |
| 11 | Mexico | 33,92% | 659 484 |
| 12 | Colombia | 52,70% | 584 750 |
| 13 | Angola | 46,31% | 577 312 |
| 14 | Bolivia | 50,29% | 544 750 |
| 15 | Zambia | 65,20% | 484 684 |
| 16 | Venezuela | 52,74% | 465 186 |
| 17 | Tanzania | 51,58% | 456 880 |
| 18 | Mozambique | 47,98% | 377 336 |
| 19 | Papua New Guinea | 74,10% | 335 562 |
| 20 | Myanmar | 43,63% | 284 946 |
| 21 | Sweden | 68,92% | 280 730 |
| 22 | Argentina | 9,80% | 268 152 |
| 23 | Japan | 68,46% | 249 564 |
| 24 | Gabon | 90,04% | 232 000 |
| 25 | Congo | 65,35% | 223 186 |
| 26 | Finland | 73,11% | 222 180 |
| 27 | Malaysia | 67,60% | 222 092 |
| 28 | CAR | 35,56% | 221 544 |
| 29 | Sudan | 0,00% | 190 355 |
| 30 | Laos | 82,11% | 189 506 |
| 31 | Cameroon | 39,34% | 185 960 |
| 32 | Spain | 36,94% | 184 520 |
| 33 | Chile | 24,26% | 180 358 |
| 34 | France | 31,23% | 171 020 |
| 35 | Guyana | 83,90% | 165 160 |
| 36 | Thailand | 32,16% | 164 290 |
| 37 | Suriname | 98,26% | 153 282 |
| 38 | Paraguay | 37,75% | 149 976 |
| 39 | Vietnam | 48,06% | 149 020 |
| 40 | Zimbabwe | 35,54% | 137 496 |
| 41 | Ethiopia | 12,54% | 125 396 |
| 42 | Ecuador | 50,21% | 124 692 |
| 43 | Madagascar | 21,41% | 124 570 |
| 44 | Mongolia | 8,02% | 124 555 |
| 45 | Norway | 33,18% | 121 140 |
| 46 | Türkiye | 15,35% | 118 174 |
| 47 | Germany | 32,69% | 114 210 |
| 48 | Botswana | 18,95% | 107 378 |
| 49 | Iran | 6,56% | 106 920 |
| 50 | Ivory Coast | 32,71% | 104 006 |
| 51 | New Zealand | 38,56% | 101 522 |
| 52 | Ukraine | 16,71% | 96 788 |
| 53 | Poland | 30,88% | 94 562 |
| 54 | Ghana | 41,16% | 93 654 |
| 55 | Italy | 31,79% | 93 508 |
| 56 | Cambodia | 52,85% | 93 296 |
| 57 | South Africa | 7,62% | 92 410 |
| 58 | Belarus | 42,63% | 86 534 |
| 59 | Philippines | 27,77% | 82 800 |
| 60 | Senegal | 42,76% | 82 330 |
| 61 | South Sudan | 29,40% | 71 570 |
| 62 | Romania | 30,12% | 69 302 |
| 63 | Namibia | 8,31% | 68 448 |
| 64 | Nigeria | 7,23% | 65 834 |
| 65 | Guinea | 25,75% | 63 280 |
| 66 | Somalia | 10,02% | 62 862 |
| 67 | South Korea | 63,35% | 61 764 |
| 68 | Morocco | 12,60% | 56 240 |
| 69 | Burkina Faso | 19,34% | 52 902 |
| 70 | North Korea | 40,73% | 49 040 |
| 71 | Chad | 3,77% | 47 484 |
| 72 | Mali | 3,80% | 46 360 |
| 73 | Panama | 61,89% | 46 006 |
| 74 | Honduras | 39,97% | 44 720 |
| 75 | Kenya | 7,82% | 44 496 |
| 76 | Benin | 37,79% | 42 610 |
| 77 | Liberia | 43,08% | 41 490 |
| 78 | Turkmenistan | 8,78% | 41 270 |
| 79 | Greece | 31,69% | 40 842 |
| 80 | Austria | 46,91% | 38 708 |
| 81 | Bulgaria | 35,37% | 38 402 |
| 82 | Nepal | 25,36% | 36 360 |
| 83 | Guatemala | 32,70% | 35 036 |
| 84 | Latvia | 53,98% | 33 564 |
| 85 | Kazakhstan | 1,23% | 33 090 |
| 86 | Cuba | 31,28% | 32 536 |
| 87 | Uzbekistan | 7,54% | 32 088 |
| 88 | Portugal | 34,61% | 31 706 |
| 89 | Great Britain | 13,07% | 31 610 |
| 90 | Malawi | 33,19% | 31 290 |
| 91 | Nicaragua | 25,88% | 31 140 |
| 92 | Sierra Leone | 43,05% | 31 076 |
| 93 | Georgia | 40,62% | 28 224 |
| 94 | Costa Rica | 54,57% | 27 862 |
| 95 | Butane | 72,48% | 27 649 |
| 96 | Serbia | 31,12% | 27 214 |
| 97 | Czech | 34,56% | 26 690 |
| 98 | Estonia | 51,34% | 22 316 |
| 99 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 42,68% | 21 850 |
| 100 | Lithuania | 34,83% | 21 820 |
| 101 | Solomon Islands | 77,86% | 21 794 |
| 102 | Hungary | 22,91% | 20 736 |
| 103 | Sri Lanka | 32,90% | 20 634 |
| 104 | Dominican Republic | 41,73% | 20 162 |
| 105 | Algeria | 0,82% | 19 636 |
| 106 | Guinea-Bissau | 69,77% | 19 620 |
| 107 | Uganda | 9,68% | 19 418 |
| 108 | Slovakia | 40,35% | 19 402 |
| 109 | Croatia | 34,35% | 19 224 |
| 110 | Uruguay | 10,67% | 18 677 |
| 111 | Equatorial Guinea | 55,49% | 15 564 |
| 112 | Eritrea | 14,91% | 15 056 |
| 113 | Pakistan | 1,85% | 14 290 |
| 114 | Bangladesh | 10,96% | 14 264 |
| 115 | Belize | 59,68% | 13 613 |
| 116 | Afghanistan | 2,07% | 13 500 |
| 117 | Switzerland | 31,83% | 12 578 |
| 118 | Slovenia | 61,97% | 12 482 |
| 119 | Azerbaijan | 14,10% | 11 656 |
| 120 | Niger | 0,89% | 11 296 |
| 121 | Tunisia | 6,77% | 10 512 |
| 122 | Fiji | 55,94% | 10 221 |
| 123 | Macedonia | 39,57% | 9 980 |
| 124 | Saudi Arabia | 0,45% | 9 770 |
| 125 | New Caledonia | 45,90% | 8 390 |
| 126 | Montenegro | 61,49% | 8 270 |
| 127 | Iraq | 1,90% | 8 250 |
| 128 | Albania | 28,12% | 7 705 |
| 129 | Ireland | 11,03% | 7 597 |
| 130 | Belgium | 22,58% | 6 838 |
| 131 | East Timor | 45,38% | 6 748 |
| 132 | Kyrgyzstan | 3,28% | 6 290 |
| 133 | Denmark | 14,70% | 6 172 |
| 134 | Swaziland | 34,34% | 5 906 |
| 135 | Yemen | 1,04% | 5 490 |
| 136 | Bahamas | 51,45% | 5 150 |
| 137 | Puerto Rico | 56,29% | 4 993 |
| 138 | Syria | 2,67% | 4 910 |
| 139 | Gambia | 48,38% | 4 896 |
| 140 | Rwanda | 19,73% | 4 868 |
| 141 | Vanuatu | 36,10% | 4 400 |
| 142 | Moldova | 12,58% | 4 136 |
| 143 | Tajikistan | 2,97% | 4 124 |
| 144 | Brunei | 72,11% | 3 800 |
| 145 | Netherlands | 11,18% | 3 766 |
| 146 | Jamaica | 30,92% | 3 348 |
| 147 | Armenia | 11,67% | 3 322 |
| 148 | UAE | 4,56% | 3 237 |
| 149 | Burundi | 10,93% | 2 806 |
| 150 | Salvador | 12,58% | 2 606 |
| 151 | Trinidad and Tobago | 46,02% | 2 361 |
| 152 | Mauritania | 0,21% | 2 210 |
| 153 | Libya | 0,12% | 2 170 |
| 154 | Cyprus | 18,69% | 1 727 |
| 155 | Samoa | 60,42% | 1 710 |
| 156 | Togo | 3,09% | 1 682 |
| 157 | Israel | 7,73% | 1 672 |
| 158 | French polynesia | 42,35% | 1 550 |
| 159 | Lebanon | 13,43% | 1 374 |
| 160 | Jordan | 1,10% | 975 |
| 161 | Haiti | 3,49% | 962 |
| 162 | Cape Verde | 22,55% | 909 |
| 163 | Luxembourg | 35,68% | 867 |
| 164 | Egypt | 0,07% | 736 |
| 165 | Micronesia | 91,86% | 643 |
| 166 | Sao Tome and Principe | 55,83% | 536 |
| 167 | Iceland | 0,50% | 505 |
| 168 | Lesotho | 1,65% | 500 |
| 169 | Dominica | 57,41% | 431 |
| 170 | Seychelles | 88,41% | 407 |
| 171 | Palau | 87,61% | 403 |
| 172 | Mauritius | 19,03% | 386 |
| 173 | Comoros | 19,67% | 366 |
| 174 | Turks and Caicos Islands | 36,21% | 344 |
| 175 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 69,23% | 270 |
| 176 | Guam | 46,30% | 250 |
| 177 | Saint Lucia | 33,18% | 202 |
| 178 | American Samoa | 87,50% | 175 |
| 179 | Virgin Islands (USA) | 49,97% | 175 |
| 180 | Grenada | 49,97% | 170 |
| 181 | Singapore | 23,06% | 164 |
| 182 | Andorra | 34,04% | 160 |
| 183 | Cayman Islands | 52,92% | 127 |
| 184 | Marshall Islands | 70,22% | 126 |
| 185 | Kiribati | 15,00% | 121 |
| 186 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 42,31% | 110 |
| 187 | Antigua and Barbuda | 22,27% | 98 |
| 188 | Palestine | 1,52% | 92 |
| 189 | Tonga | 12,50% | 90 |
| 190 | Liechtenstein | 43,13% | 69 |
| 191 | Barbados | 14,65% | 63 |
| 192 | Kuwait | 0,35% | 63 |
| 193 | Djibouti | 0,24% | 56 |
| 194 | Virgin Islands (British) | 24,13% | 36 |
| 195 | Isle Of Man | 6,07% | 35 |
| 196 | Oman | 0,01% | 20 |
| 197 | Bermuda | 18,52% | 10 |
| 198 | Maldives | 3,33% | 10 |
| 199 | Tuvalu | 33,33% | 10 |
| 200 | Bahrain | 0,78% | 6 |
| 201 | Aruba | 2,33% | 4 |
| 202 | Malta | 1,09% | 3 |
| 203 | Greenland | 0,00% | 2 |
| 204 | Faroe islands | 0,06% | 1 |
| 205 | Qatar | 0,00% | 0 |
| 206 | San Marino | 0,00% | 0 |
Not all countries can boast that they have a river basin at their disposal, which does not need to be shared with other states. There are countries that are most endowed with water resources, and there are also those where there is already an acute shortage of drinking water. Why is independence important?
The following example will help you understand the situation better. The Irtysh is the largest tributary of the Ob River. Its source is located on the Mongolian-Chinese border, then the Irtysh crosses China.
The length of the river on Chinese territory is half a thousand kilometers. After this, it flows through Kazakhstan (a length of more than 1,700 km), and then crosses the Russian border, where the distance to the confluence with the Ob is almost 2,000 km.
Previously, there was an agreement between the countries regarding the division of the Irtysh flow. According to it, half (which is about two billion cubic km of water) is taken by China, and half of the remaining flow is taken by Kazakhstan. This cannot but affect the full flow of the river in the area belonging to Russia.
If a river flowed through the territory of only one state, its water supply would not depend on how honestly the neighboring country acts. When several states are involved in dividing a resource, things may not be very good.
If you look at a world map, you can clearly see which countries the rivers flow through, and which of them depend (or do not depend) on their neighbors. There are many more states sharing water resources. Because of this, they are almost completely dependent on water supplies:
- Egypt, Turkmenistan, Kuwait - from 95 to 100%.
- Bangladesh, Moldova, Mauritania, Hungary - from 90 to 95%.
- Netherlands, Niger - 86–88%.
Among the countries of the post-Soviet space, water dependence is as follows:
- Turkmenistan and Moldova - more than 90%.
- Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan - about 75%.
- Ukraine, Latvia - more than 52%.
- Lithuania, Belarus, Tajikistan - from 31 to 37%.
- Tajikistan, Armenia - more than 31%.
- Russia, Estonia - less than 5%.
- Kyrgyzstan is completely independent.
If we compare water resources by volume of reserves, there are states that occupy leading positions.
| The name of the country | Volume of water reserves (cubic km) | Share of transboundary flow (%) |
| Brazil | 8.3 thousand | 34,1 |
| Russia | 4.6 thousand | 4,3 |
| USA | 3.1 thousand | 3,9 |
| Canada | 2.9 thousand | 1,9 |
| Indonesia | 2,7 | 0 |
| China | 2,6 | 0,6 |
| Colombia | 2,2 | 0,8 |
Peru, Venezuela, Burma and many other countries do not have to fear that they will be threatened by a decrease in transboundary flows.
Changes in river water use
Water is needed not only for drinking and irrigation: rivers serve as transport arteries, which is very important in places where it is impossible to build highways. In addition, rivers can be a place for fishing and recreation for people, and a means for generating electricity.
Everything is fine when everything is fine with the rivers. But this is not always possible. Thus, waterways can transport pollutants from upstream countries to downstream countries.
Due to the deterioration of river water quality, not only people, but also lands may suffer. Vegetation, animals, and birds begin to die on the banks of polluted rivers.
First of all, trees that grow near the shores die. But this does not mean that forests located remotely will not be affected. Pollution will spread either along the surface of the soil (during spring and autumn floods) or in its depths (by groundwater).
Significant changes in the volume or quality of river flow can result from:
- To a change in agricultural activities and the inability to use land resources. A lack of water or the inability to use it to water plants due to pollution will make it impossible to grow many crops for food or industry. In addition, water problems can lead to dry pastures. And the lack of animal feed will force the number of livestock to be reduced or completely destroyed. All this can ultimately lead to food shortages due to the impossibility of full-fledged land use. This situation can be observed in many countries that do not have their own rivers.
- To the death of forests. Forests occupy 30% of the land. In the north, coniferous species predominate; in the southern zones, tropical species predominate. Many of them grow near rivers. One such example is Brazil. More than 60 rivers flow through the vastness of this country, including the world's longest, the Amazon. The territory of the state is covered with dense vegetation - tropical forests. Without the presence of the required amount of moisture, in particular from rivers, it is unlikely that forest areas would be so dense. And Brazil, like other countries endowed with forest resources, occupies a leading position in terms of water reserves.
- To global climate or environmental changes. The death of fish and animals is only part of what awaits polluted or depleted rivers. Due to lack of water, their banks turn into swamps and floodplains dry out. If polluted rivers flow through populated areas, the environmental situation in them deteriorates sharply.
Conclusion: today the world economy faces an acute problem that needs to be solved as soon as possible. The matter concerns the rational use of water, especially fresh water. It just seems like there is a lot of water on the planet.
In fact, the picture is as follows:
- 96% of the planet's waters are found in the World Ocean.
- Groundwater - 2%.
- Glaciers contain less than 2%.
- Surface water (fresh) is about 0.03% of the total. These include river, lake and swamp waters.
If we take into account the entire volume of water, then only 0.6 percent of it is fresh water. Every year humanity uses more than 3.5 thousand cubic meters. km of water. This number includes those used for agricultural needs (about 66%) and for industry (more than 20%). Ocean water is not used for technical needs or for drinking.
World Ocean
The Earth's oceans contain 96% of the water reserves that are used by all countries located on their shores. Accordingly, the reserves of the World Ocean are very important for the development of the productive forces of states.
The world's oceans contain:
- Bioresources. These are phyto- and zooplankton, fish.
- Mineral raw materials. Moreover, at the bottom of the oceans, minerals are found in large quantities.
- Fresh water is a valuable resource that is becoming increasingly scarce. It is obtained by desalination.
In addition, ocean waters:
- They are transport communications.
- Represent energy potential.
- They purify substances of various origins entering them.
If humanity can fully develop the resources of the planet’s oceans, it will be able to solve many problems that are currently global.
Already today, the resources of the ocean shelves are widely used. We are talking about oil production. Thus, 32% of the oil produced is of shelf origin, and more than 85% of it. But Australia is the least rich in this regard: it receives only 50% of its oil from the ocean floor.
28/04/2012
24/7 Wall Street conducted a detailed analysis of 10 countries with the largest and most valuable natural resources on Earth. Using estimates of each country's total reserves and the market value of these resources, the 10 countries that have the most valuable natural resource reserves were identified.
N Some of these resources, including uranium, silver, and phosphates, are not as valuable as others due to low demand or due to their rarity. However, in the case of oil, natural gas, timber, coal, these natural resources can be worth tens of trillions of dollars, because the demand for them is high and these resources are relatively abundant.
1. Russia
Total resource value: $75.7 trillion.
Oil reserves (value): 60 billion barrels ($7.08 billion)
Natural gas reserves (value): 1.680 trillion. cubic feet ($19 billion)
Timber reserves (value): 1.95 billion acres ($28.4 trillion)
When it comes to natural resources, Russia is the richest country in the world. It leads among all countries in the world in terms of natural gas and timber reserves. The sheer size of the country is both a blessing and a curse, since the construction of pipelines for gas transportation, as well as railroads for wood transportation, costs incredible sums.
In addition to having such large reserves of gas and timber, Russia has the second largest coal deposits in the world and the third largest gold deposits. In addition, it has the second largest deposits of rare earth minerals, although they are not currently mined.
2. United States
Total resource value: $45 trillion
Natural gas reserves (value): 272.5 cubic meters. m ($3.1 trillion)
Timber reserves (value): 750 million acres ($10.9 trillion)
The United States has 31.2% of the world's proven coal reserves. They are valued at 30 trillion dollars. Today they are the most valuable reserves on earth. The country has about 750 million acres of forestland, which is worth about $11 trillion. Timber and coal together are worth approximately 89% of the total value of the country's natural resources. The US is also among the top five countries with global reserves of copper, gold and natural gas.
3. Saudi Arabia
Total resource value: $34.4 trillion
Oil reserves (value): 266.7 trillion. barrels ($31.5 trillion)
Natural gas reserves (value): 258.5 trillion. cubic meters ($2.9 trillion)
Saudi Arabia owns about 20% of the world's oil, the largest share of any country. All of the country's significant resources are in carbon - oil or gas. The Kingdom has the fifth largest natural gas reserves in the world. As these resources dwindle, Saudi Arabia will eventually lose its high position on this list. However, this will not happen for several decades.
4. Canada
Total resource value: $33.2 trillion
Oil reserves (value): 178.1 billion barrels ($21 trillion)
Timber reserves (value): 775 million acres ($11.3 trillion)
Before the discovery of oil sands deposits, Canada's total mineral reserves likely would have kept it out of this list. The oil sands added about 150 billion barrels to Canada's oil supply in 2009 and 2010. The country also produces a decent amount of phosphate, although its phosphate rock deposits are not among the top 10 in the world. In addition, Canada has the world's second largest proven uranium reserves and the third largest timber reserves.
5. Iran
Total resource value: $27.3 trillion.
Oil reserves (value): 136.2 billion barrels ($16.1 trillion)
Natural gas reserves (value): 991600000000000 cubic meters. m ($11.2 trillion)
Wood reserves (value): not in the top 10
Iran shares with Qatar the giant South Pars/North Dome gas field in the Persian Gulf. The country has about 16% of the world's natural gas reserves. Iran also has the third largest proven amount of oil in the world. This is more than 10% of the world's oil reserves. At the moment, the country is experiencing problems in realizing its resources due to its alienation from international markets.
6. China
Total resource value: $23 trillion.
Oil reserves (value): not in the top 10
Natural gas reserves (value): not in the top 10
Timber reserves (value): 450 million acres ($6.5 trillion)
China's resource value is based largely on its reserves of coal and rare earth minerals. China has significant coal reserves, accounting for more than 13% of the world's total. Recently, shale gas deposits were discovered here. Once assessed, China's status as a leader in natural resources will only improve.
7. Brazil
Total resource value: $21.8 trillion.
Oil reserves (value): not in the top 10
Natural gas reserves (value): not in the top 10
Timber reserves (value): 1.2 billion acres ($17.5 trillion)
Significant reserves of gold and uranium largely contributed to its place on this list. Brazil also owns 17% of the world's iron ore. The most valuable natural resource, however, is wood. The country owns 12.3% of the world's timber reserves, valued at $17.45 trillion. To ensure consistency and accuracy of the study, recently discovered offshore oil reserves have not been included in this report. According to preliminary estimates, the field may contain 44 billion barrels of oil.
8. Australia
Total resource value: $19.9 trillion.
Oil reserves (value): not in the top 10
Natural gas reserves (value): not in the top 10
Timber reserves (value): 369 million acres ($5.3 trillion)
Australia's natural wealth lies in its vast quantities of timber, coal, copper and iron. The country is in the top three for total reserves of seven resources on this list. Australia has the largest reserves of gold in the world, with 14.3% of the world's reserves. It also supplies 46% of the world's uranium. In addition, the country has significant natural gas reserves offshore its northwest coast, which it shares with Indonesia.
9. Iraq
Total resource value: $15.9 trillion. Z
Oil reserves (value): 115 billion barrels ($13.6 trillion)
Natural gas reserves (value): 111.9 trillion. cube ft ($1.3 trillion)
Wood reserves (value): not in the top 10
Iraq's greatest wealth is oil - 115 billion barrels of proven reserves. This represents almost 9% of the world's total oil. Despite being relatively easy to produce, most of these reserves remain untapped due to political differences between the central government and the Kurdistan Region over ownership of the oil. Iraq also has one of the most significant phosphate rock reserves in the world, worth more than $1.1 trillion. However, these deposits have not been fully developed.
10. Venezuela
Total resource value: $14.3 trillion.
Oil reserves (value): 99.4 billion barrels ($11.7 trillion)
Natural gas reserves (value): 170.9 cubic meters ft ($1.9 trillion)
Wood reserves (value): not in the top 10
Venezuela is one of the 10 largest resource holders in terms of iron, natural gas and oil. Natural gas reserves in this South American country rank eighth in the world and amount to 179.9 cubic meters. lbs. These reserves represent just over 2.7% of global reserves. In Venezuela, according to experts, there are 99 billion barrels of oil, which is 7.4% of the total reserves in the world .
