DUSHANBE, January 16, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- A report released by Russia’s Ministry of Natural Resources puts Tajikistan among the top twenty countries of the world in terms of water resources.

According to the report, entitled “The State of Water Resources of Russia and the World,” Tajikistan stands in the 16th place globally in terms freshwater resources.

The world average rate of water usage is 5,418.3 cubic meters per one resident, while in Tajikistan, this rate is 10,469 cubic meters of river flow per person per year, according to the report.

The list of twenty two countries in terms of water resources includes Canada -- 90,104 cubic meters per year, Norway – 83,735, New Zealand – 81,562, Chili – 56,042, Bolivia – 34,490,  Brazil – 30,680, Russia – 29,944, Australia – 24,747, Finland – 20,466, Sweden – 19,017, Congo – 16,932, Angola – 13,607, Indonesia – 13,2 20, Ireland – 12,045, Georgia – 11,315, Tajikistan – 10,469, the United States – 9,628, Slovakia – 9,524, Estonia – 9,423, and Kyrgyzstan – 9,105.

It is to be noted that international experts estimate that in the next 25 years a third of the population will face severe water scarcity and these countries play a pivotal role in managing global water resources.