The world's freshwater systems are so degraded that its ability to support human, plant and animal life is greatly in peril.

All organisms on the planet need water to survive.

Freshwater systems are created by water that enters the terrestrial environment as precipitation and flows both above and below ground toward the sea. These systems encompass a wide range of habitats, including rivers, lakes, and wetlands, and the riparian zones associated with them.

This analysis concentrates on the terrestrial water that is most accessible to humans: the water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Humans also rely heavily on groundwater, which is the only source of freshwater in some parts of the world. However, this analysis does not focus extensively on groundwater because the data on this resource are scarce.

• WRI report reveals world's freshwater systems in peril. The world's freshwater systems are so degraded that its ability to support human, plant and animal life is greatly in peril. As a result, many freshwater species are facing rapid population decline or extinction, and an increasing number of people will face serious water shortages.

• Although water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands contains only 0.01 percent of the world's freshwater and occupies only one percent of the earth's surface, the global value of freshwater services is estimated in the trillions of U.S. dollars.

• Food production and inland fisheries. In 1997, 7.7 million metric tons of fish were caught from lakes, rivers, and wetlands, a production level estimated to be at or above maximum sustainable yield for these systems. Since 1990, freshwater aquaculture has more than doubled its yield and now accounts for 60 percent of global aquaculture production.

• Freshwater quantity. While many regions of the world have ample freshwater supplies, four out of every 10 people currently live in river basins which are experiencing water scarcity. By 2025, at least 3.5 billion people or nearly 50 percent of the world's population will face water scarcity.

• Freshwater quality. Water-borne diseases from fecal pollution of surface waters continue to be a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the developing world.

• Freshwater biodiversity. In the United States, which has the most comprehensive data on freshwater species, 37 percent of freshwater fish species, 67 percent of mussels, 51 percent of crayfish and 40 percent of amphibians are threatened or have become extinct.

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