Glossary

Exploitable Water Resources

Also known as 'manageable water resources' or 'water development potential':

• water resources available for development under specific economic and environmental conditions;
• may be subdivided in three subcomponents:
  • 'regular surface water': annual average quantity of surface water that is available with an occurrence of 90% of the time,
  • 'irregular surface water': variable component of water resources (e.g. floods); it is the flow that needs to be regulated,
  • 'regular groundwater': annual average quantity of groundwater that is available with an occurrence of 90 % of the time.

 

The estimation of exploitable water resources takes into account such variables as:

• dependability of the flow (e.g. the economic and environmental feasibility of storing floodwater behind dams),
• extractable groundwater (e.g. the economic and environmental feasibility of extracting groundwater),
• minimum flow required for non consumptive use (e.g. the minimum flow requirements for navigation, environmental services, aquatic life, etc.).

Source: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization