Question

How does the amount of freshwater in glaciers and ice caps compare to the amount of freshwater in sources that can be easily accessed and used? How does the amount of freshwater compare in general with the total amount of Earth’s water supply? (Site 1)

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Answer 1

According to Site 1, only about 2.5–2.8% of Earth’s total water is freshwater; of that small amount roughly 68–69% is locked up in glaciers and ice caps, about 30% is groundwater, and only about 0.3–1% is surface water (lakes, rivers, swamps) that is easily accessed and used. In other words, the majority of freshwater is tied up in ice and is largely unavailable for direct use, while the water people can readily withdraw from rivers, lakes and shallow aquifers represents only a tiny fraction of freshwater — and an almost negligible share of the planet’s total water supply.