The territories of the Mediterranean area show different physical, morphological and natural features for both marine and terrestrial areas. The demographic settlements are characterised by different urban and rural population shares and a different management of water resources.
Land area and marine and terrestrial environments, urban and rural population settlements and finally the topic of water resources, examined through water withdrawal and water stress levels.
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area)
Rural population (% of total population)
Urban population (% of total population)
Population in the largest city (% of urban population)
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters)
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
area_code
ordgeo
Countries
2024
2021
2022
2022
2023
2023
2023
2020
2020
Portugal
92,226.0
36.2
16.9
22.9
32.1
67.9
42.0
6.1
12.3
A
1
Spain
505,983.0
37.2
12.8
28.1
18.4
81.6
17.1
29.0
43.3
A
2
France
638,475.0
31.7
49.8
28.4
18.2
81.8
20.1
26.3
23.0
A
3
Italy
302,109.6
32.5
10.6
21.6
28.0
72.0
10.2
33.6
29.6
A
4
Slovenia
20,273.0
61.4
2.3
40.4
43.9
56.1
..
1.0
6.8
A
5
Croatia
56,594.0
34.7
9.0
38.5
41.4
58.6
30.3
0.7
1.5
A
6
Greece
131,694.0
30.3
4.5
35.2
19.3
80.7
37.7
10.1
20.5
A
7
Malta
316.0
1.4
7.4
30.6
5.1
94.9
..
0.0
81.9
A
8
Cyprus
9,253.0
18.7
8.6
38.7
33.0
67.0
..
0.3
37.6
A
9
Serbia
77,472.0
32.4
..
8.1
42.9
57.1
37.3
5.3
6.0
B
10
Kosovo
10,888.0
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
B
11
Bosnia and Herzegovina
51,210.0
42.7
0.0
4.1
49.7
50.3
21.4
0.3
2.0
B
12
Montenegro
13,810.0
61.5
0.6
13.9
31.5
68.5
..
0.2
..
B
13
North Macedonia
25,710.0
39.7
..
15.4
40.5
59.5
56.7
1.6
38.7
B
14
Albania
28,750.0
28.8
2.8
18.6
35.4
64.6
29.3
0.8
4.7
B
15
Turkiye
785,350.0
29.1
1.8
7.0
22.5
77.5
24.0
61.5
45.7
C
16
Syrian Arab Republic
185,180.0
2.8
0.2
0.7
42.6
57.4
19.4
14.0
124.4
C
17
Lebanon
10,450.0
14.1
0.2
1.9
10.6
89.4
50.6
1.8
58.8
C
18
Jordan
89,318.0
1.1
1.0
4.5
8.0
92.0
21.4
0.9
104.3
C
19
Israel
22,070.0
6.5
0.0
24.5
7.1
92.9
48.8
1.3
110.1
C
20
West Bank and Gaza
6,025.0
1.7
..
8.4
22.4
77.6
19.4
0.3
50.3
C
21
Egypt, Arab Rep.
1,001,450.0
0.0
5.0
13.1
56.9
43.1
45.7
77.5
141.2
D
22
Libya
1,759,540.0
0.1
0.6
0.1
18.4
81.6
21.1
5.7
817.1
D
23
Tunisia
163,610.0
4.5
1.0
7.9
29.5
70.5
28.2
3.9
98.1
D
24
Algeria
2,381,741.0
0.8
0.1
4.6
24.7
75.3
8.5
9.8
137.9
D
25
Morocco
446,550.0
12.9
0.7
2.2
34.9
65.1
15.8
10.6
50.8
D
26
Surface area (sq. km)
SerbiaLatest available data: 2021
KosovoLatest available data: 2021
Bosnia and HerzegovinaLatest available data: 2021
MontenegroLatest available data: 2021
North MacedoniaLatest available data: 2021
AlbaniaLatest available data: 2021
TurkiyeLatest available data: 2021
Syrian Arab RepublicLatest available data: 2021
LebanonLatest available data: 2021
JordanLatest available data: 2021
IsraelLatest available data: 2021
West Bank and GazaLatest available data: 2021
Egypt, Arab Rep.Latest available data: 2021
LibyaLatest available data: 2021
TunisiaLatest available data: 2021
AlgeriaLatest available data: 2021
MoroccoLatest available data: 2021
Forest area (% of land area)
KosovoNo data available
Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters)
SerbiaNo data available
KosovoNo data available
North MacedoniaNo data available
West Bank and GazaNo data available
Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area)
KosovoNo data available
Rural population (% of total population)
KosovoNo data available
Urban population (% of total population)
KosovoNo data available
Population in the largest city (% of urban population)
SloveniaNo data available
MaltaNo data available
CyprusNo data available
KosovoNo data available
MontenegroNo data available
Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (billion cubic meters)
KosovoNo data available
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
KosovoNo data available
MontenegroNo data available
Some highlighted topics
Forested and protected areas
A basic indicator that characterizes the individual countries concerns territorial extension: the
surface area of the countries in the Mediterranean region has the highest values in North Africa, with
Algeria, Libya and Egypt covering more than 2 million, 1.7 million and 1 million square kilometers
respectively. Within the European Union, the countries with the largest land area are France (with
over 600 thousand square kilometers), Spain (about 500 thousand square kilometers) and Italy (about
300 thousand square kilometers). With respect to this indicator, the forest area represents a
significant share especially in the countries of the European Union (in which Slovenia stands out with
a share that exceeds 60%) and in some of the Western Balkan countries (in particular, in Montenegro
this share reaches about 60%).
Within the surface area of territories, protected natural areas constitute marine and terrestrial
environments that are of significant interest due to their natural, geomorphological, physical, and
biochemical characteristics, including flora and fauna. The European Commission has adopted the
European Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, which among its objectives asks member states to protect at
least 30% of national territory and 30% of the sea, and that at least one third of these areas be
strictly protected. Terrestrial areas are protected by the Natura 2000 ecological network, set up for
the territory of the European Union under the ‘Habitats’ Directive 92/43/EEC to conserve biodiversity
and ensure the long-term maintenance of natural habitats and threatened or rare species of flora and
fauna at Community level; it includes Sites of Community Importance (SCI)/Special Areas of
Conservation (SAC) and also Special Protection Areas (SPA). France is the only country in the
Mediterranean area that meets the objectives of the European Strategy for the share of marine
protected areas, reaching almost 50% (Figure 1). For terrestrial protected areas, the 30% target has
been reached by five other EU countries: Slovenia, Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, and Malta. Italy is still
rather far from the targets for marine areas (about 10% of protected areas), while for terrestrial
areas it is just over 20%. In the other macro-regions, the most positive results concern land areas,
and in particular Albania in the Western Balkans (almost 20%), Israel in the Middle East (with a share
close to 25%), and Egypt in North Africa (just under 15%).
Figure 1 - Marine and terrestrial protected areas. 2022 (%)
...
Urban and rural population
The latest UN World Social Report
is dedicated to rural development and the strategies needed to bridge the gap between
rural and urban communities. Rural populations usually have less access to education, health, and
other services. However, rural development can play a central role in achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals. According to the Report, to bridge the gap between the two communities, it would be
important to act on three different levers: new technologies for water and land use, sustainable
agricultural practices, and increased investment in land.
In the Mediterranean region, Egypt and Bosnia and Herzegovina are the countries with the highest
shares of rural population, 56.9% and 49.7% respectively (Figure 2). Among European countries,
Slovenia and Croatia show the shares above 40%. In contrast, the highest shares of urban population
are found in Malta, France and Spain among the European Union countries, Israel and Jordan in the
Middle East and Libya in North Africa. From a dynamic point of view, there is a clear decrease in the
rural population share over the 20-year period, especially in Portugal, Turkey, Jordan, and Morocco.
By contrast, this share is only slightly increasing in Cyprus.
In general, the explosive growth of metropolitan realities indicates the demographic transition from
the rural to the urban world and is associated with the shift from an economy based on agriculture to
one based on industry and services. Compared to the urban population, the share for large cities
(which concerns precisely the population living in metropolitan realities) is most representative in
the EU countries for Portugal (over 40%) and Greece (around 38%). Among the Western Balkan countries,
North Macedonia reports values exceeding 50%. In the Middle East, Lebanon and Israel return the
highest values in terms of population in large urban realities (50.6% and 48.8% respectively), while
Egypt is the North African country with the highest share (45.7%).
Figure 2 - Rural and urban population. 2023 (% of total population)
...
Water resources
Water resources data are examined using two indicators: annual water withdrawal (assessed by excluding
evaporation losses from storage reservoirs) and water stress level, which relates freshwater
withdrawal to available water resources. The smaller the gap between supply and demand, the more
vulnerable an area is to water scarcity. A country facing ‘extreme water stress’ indicates that it is
using at least 80% of available supplies, while one with ‘high water stress’ is withdrawing 40% of
supplies. Increased hydrological variability and climate change have a profound impact on the water
sector through the hydrological cycle, availability, demand, and allocation of water at global, basin
and local levels. As is well known, proper management of water resources is a crucial component of
growth, poverty reduction and equity especially in developing countries.
The total annual freshwater withdrawals are obviously related to the size of the country, and to the
specificities of each country in terms of overall water availability. Considering these
considerations, one can read the highest values of the indicator, which concern Egypt (77.5bcm),
Turkey (61.5 bcm), Italy, Spain, and France (33.6, 29 and 26.3bcm respectively). From the point of
view of water stress, on the other hand, the Mediterranean countries with the greatest criticality are
most of those in North Africa and the Middle East characterized by indicator values above 100% of
available stocks: these are Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Syria, Israel, and Jordan (Figure 3). Also in the
extreme water stress typology above the 80% threshold is Tunisia, together with Malta as the only case
in the European Union. Then there are countries across the Mediterranean area that fall into the
high-water stress band, presenting values around 40-50%: Spain, Turkey, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza
and Morocco.
One aspect that should be emphasized is that the level of water stress has worsened over the
twenty-year period, especially in some of the most critical countries already highlighted, which
already presented a more problematic situation in 2001: this is the case of Libya, Algeria, Egypt,
Jordan, Tunisia, Malta, and Lebanon. On the other hand, water criticality has decreased since the
beginning of the century in other countries where it is still significant: these are Syria, Israel,
Morocco, and Spain.
Figure 3 - Level of water stress (freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater
resources) in 2020 and difference in percentage points compared to 2001
...
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Metadata
Indicators
Definition
Country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.
Sources
a) Istat for Italy; b) Eurostat for Portugal, Spain, France, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Malta, Cyprus; c) World Bank Development Indicators for Syria; d) FAO for other countries
Methodology
Data from FAO are collected through a Questionnaire on Land Use, Irrigation and Agricultural Practices, based on the FAO Land Use classification. In other cases, data are drawn by national statistical offices.
Notes
Changes in the total area of a country from one year to the next may be due to updating or revision of data rather than an actual change.
Presence in policy-oriented statistical systems
ENP-South Eurostat Data Browser: Area 'Environment and Energy'
Percentage over the land area of the forest area, that is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, excluding tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agroforestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens.
Sources
a) FAO; b) World Bank Development Indicators for Egypt, Libya, Algeria
Methodology
Data are collected through a FAO Questionnaire on Land Use, Irrigation and Agricultural Practices, based on the FAO Land Use classification.
Notes
The FAO Land Use classification is aligned with the UN System of Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA); the UN Framework for the Development of Environmental Statistics (FDES); and the World Census of Agriculture. It is furthermore consistent with the land use classes of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for country reporting to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A mapping between the FAO, SEEA, World Census of Agriculture and IPCC classifications is provided in the FAO Questionnaire.
Presence in policy-oriented statistical systems
SDG Goal 15, indicator 15.1.1; ENP-South Eurostat Data Browser: Area 'Environment and Energy'
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.
Sources
World Bank Development Indicators from United Nations Population Division
Methodology
Rural population is calculated as the difference between the total population and the urban population(midyear nonurban population). The United Nations Population Division and other agencies provide current population estimates for developing countries that lack recent census data and pre- and post-census estimates for countries with census data.
Notes
Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverage. There is no consistent and universally accepted standard for distinguishing urban from rural areas, in part because of the wide variety of situations across countries. Because the estimates of city and metropolitan area are based on national definitions of what constitutes a city or metropolitan area, cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. To estimate urban populations, UN ratios of urban to total population were applied to the World Bank's estimates of total population.
Percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.
Sources
World Bank Development Indicators from United Nations Population Division
Methodology
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The indicator is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. The United Nations Population Division and other agencies provide current population estimates for developing countries that lack recent census data and pre- and post-census estimates for countries with census data.
Notes
A metropolitan area includes the urban area, and its satellite cities plus intervening rural land that is socio-economically connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through commuting, with the urban core city being the primary labor market. According to the United Nations' definition, a metropolitan area includes both the contiguous territory inhabited at urban levels of residential density and additional surrounding areas of lower settlement density that are also under the direct influence of the city (e.g., through frequent transport, road linkages, commuting facilities etc.). Because the estimates of city and metropolitan area are based on national definitions of what constitutes a city or metropolitan area, cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. Population estimates are from demographic modeling and so are susceptible to biases and errors from shortcomings in the model and in the data. Countries differ in the way they classify population as 'urban' or 'rural.' The cohort component method - a standard method for estimating and projecting population - requires fertility, mortality, and net migration data, often collected from sample surveys, which can be small or limited in coverage.
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices.
Sources
a) United Nations Population Division; b) World Bank Development Indicators for West Bank and Gaza
Methodology
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The indicator is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. The United Nations Population Division and other agencies provide current population estimates for developing countries that lack recent census data and pre- and post-census estimates for countries with census data. The cohort component method - a standard method for estimating and projecting population - requires fertility, mortality, and net migration data, often collected from sample surveys, which can be small or limited in coverage. Population estimates are from demographic modeling and so are susceptible to biases and errors from shortcomings in the model and in the data.
Notes
Most countries use an urban classification related to the size or characteristics of settlements. Some define urban areas based on the presence of certain infrastructure and services. And other countries designate urban areas based on administrative arrangements. Because of national differences in the characteristics that distinguish urban from rural areas, the distinction between urban and rural population is not amenable to a single definition that would be applicable to all countries. Because the estimates of city and metropolitan area are based on national definitions of what constitutes a city or metropolitan area, cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. Population estimates are from demographic modeling and so are susceptible to biases and errors from shortcomings in the model and in the data. Countries differ in the way they classify population as 'urban' or 'rural.' The cohort component method - a standard method for estimating and projecting population - requires fertility, mortality, and net migration data, often collected from sample surveys, which can be small or limited in coverage.
Percentage over the territorial waters of marine protected areas, that are areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain--and overlying water and associated flora and fauna and historical and cultural features--reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.
Sources
World Bank Development Indicators from United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
Methodology
This indicator is calculated using all the nationally designated protected areas recorded in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) whose location and extent is known. The WDPA database is stored within a Geographic Information System (GIS) that stores information about protected areas such as their name, type and date of designation, documented area, geographic location (point) and/or boundary (polygon). A GIS analysis is used to calculate terrestrial and marine protection.
Notes
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a protected area as 'a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values'. Designating an area as protected does not mean that protection is in force. And for small countries that have only protected areas smaller than 1,000 hectares, the size limit in the definition leads to an underestimate of protected areas. Nationally protected areas are defined using the six IUCN management categories for areas of at least 1,000 hectares: scientific reserves and strict nature reserves with limited public access; national parks of national or international significance and not materially affected by human activity; natural monuments and natural landscapes with unique aspects; managed nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries; protected landscapes (which may include cultural landscapes); and areas managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural systems to ensure long-term protection and maintenance of biological diversity.
Percentage over the total land area of terrestrial protected areas, that are areas totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.
Sources
World Bank Development Indicators from United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC)
Methodology
This indicator is calculated using all the nationally designated protected areas recorded in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) whose location and extent is known. The WDPA database is stored within a Geographic Information System (GIS) that stores information about protected areas such as their name, type and date of designation, documented area, geographic location (point) and/or boundary (polygon). A GIS analysis is used to calculate terrestrial and marine protection.
Notes
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines a protected area as 'a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values'. Designating an area as protected does not mean that protection is in force. And for small countries that have only protected areas smaller than 1,000 hectares, the size limit in the definition leads to an underestimate of protected areas. Nationally protected areas are defined using the six IUCN management categories for areas of at least 1,000 hectares: scientific reserves and strict nature reserves with limited public access; national parks of national or international significance and not materially affected by human activity; natural monuments and natural landscapes with unique aspects; managed nature reserves and wildlife sanctuaries; protected landscapes (which may include cultural landscapes); and areas managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural systems to ensure long-term protection and maintenance of biological diversity.
Annual freshwater withdrawals refer to total water withdrawals, not counting evaporation losses from storage basins. Withdrawals also include water from desalination plants in countries where they are a significant source.
Sources
FAO
Methodology
The data are based on surveys and estimates provided by governments to the Joint Monitoring Programme of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The data on freshwater resources are based on estimates of runoff into rivers and recharge of groundwater.
Notes
Withdrawals can exceed 100 percent of total renewable resources where extraction from nonrenewable aquifers or desalination plants is considerable or where there is significant water reuse. Withdrawals for agriculture and industry are total withdrawals for irrigation and livestock production and for direct industrial use (including withdrawals for cooling thermoelectric plants). Withdrawals for domestic uses include drinking water, municipal use or supply, and use for public services, commercial establishments, and homes. The data on freshwater resources are based on estimates of runoff into rivers and recharge of groundwater. These estimates are based on different sources and refer to different years, so cross-country comparisons should be made with caution. Because the data are collected intermittently, they may hide significant variations in total renewable water resources from year to year. The data also fail to distinguish between seasonal and geographic variations in water availability within countries. Data for small countries and countries in arid and semiarid zones are less reliable than those for larger countries and countries with greater rainfall. Caution should also be used in comparing data on annual freshwater withdrawals, which are subject to variations in collection and estimation methods. In addition, inflows and outflows are estimated at different times and at different levels of quality and precision, requiring caution in interpreting the data, particularly for water-short countries, notably in the Middle East and North Africa.
Ratio between total freshwater withdrawn by all major sectors and total renewable freshwater resources, after taking into account environmental water requirements. Main sectors, as defined by ISIC standards, include agriculture; forestry and fishing; manufacturing; electricity industry; and services. This indicator is also known as water withdrawal intensity.
Sources
FAO
Methodology
Total freshwater withdrawal is the volume of freshwater extracted from its source (rivers, lakes, aquifers) for agriculture, industries and municipalities. It is estimated at the country level for the following three main sectors: agriculture, municipalities (including domestic water withdrawal) and industries. Freshwater withdrawal includes primary freshwater (not withdrawn before), secondary freshwater (previously withdrawn and returned to rivers and groundwater, such as discharged wastewater and agricultural drainage water) and fossil groundwater. It does not include non-conventional water, i.e. direct use of treated wastewater, direct use of agricultural drainage water and desalinated water. Total freshwater withdrawal is in general calculated as being the sum of total water withdrawal by sector minus direct use of wastewater, direct use of agricultural drainage water and use of desalinated water. The total actual renewable water resources for a country or region are defined as the sum of internal renewable water resources and the external renewable water resources, also expressed in km3/year. The indicator is computed by dividing total water withdrawal by total actual renewable water resources minus environmental requirements and expressed in percentage points. Total renewable freshwater resources are expressed as the sum of internal and external renewable water resources. The terms “water resources” and “water withdrawal” are understood here as freshwater resources and freshwater withdrawal. Internal renewable water resources are defined as the long-term average annual flow of rivers and recharge of groundwater for a given country generated from endogenous precipitation. External renewable water resources refer to the flows of water entering the country, taking into consideration the quantity of flows reserved to upstream and downstream countries through agreements or treaties. Environmental water requirements (Env.) are the quantities of water required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. Water quality and also the resulting ecosystem services are excluded from this formulation which is confined to water volumes. This does not imply that quality and the support to societies which are dependent on environmental flows are not important and should not be taken care of. Methods of computation of Env. are extremely variable and range from global estimates to comprehensive assessments for river reaches. Water volumes can be expressed in the same units as the total freshwater withdrawal, and then as percentages of the available water resources.
Notes
Water withdrawal as a percentage of water resources is a good indicator of pressure on limited water resources, one of the most important natural resources. However, it only partially addresses the issues related to sustainable water management. Supplementary indicators that capture the multiple dimensions of water management would combine data on water demand management, behavioural changes with regard to water use and the availability of appropriate infrastructure, and measure progress in increasing the efficiency and sustainability of water use, in particular in relation to population and economic growth. They would also recognize the different climatic environments that affect water use in countries, in particular in agriculture, which is the main user of water. Sustainability assessment is also linked to the ritical thresholds fixed for this indicator and there is no universal consensus on such threshold. Trends in water withdrawal show relatively slow patterns of change. Usually, three-five years are a minimum frequency to be able to detect significant changes, as it is unlikely that the indicator would show meaningful variations from one year to the other. Estimation of water withdrawal by sector is the main limitation to the computation of the indicator. Few countries actually publish water use data on a regular basis by sector. Renewable water resources include all surface water and groundwater resources that are available on a yearly basis without consideration of the capacity to harvest and use this resource. Exploitable water resources, which refer to the volume of surface water or groundwater that is available with an occurrence of 90% of the time, are considerably less than renewable water resources, but no universal method exists to assess such exploitable water resources. There is no universally agreed method for the computation of incoming freshwater flows originating outside of a country's borders. Nor is there any standard method to account for return flows, the part of the water withdrawn from its source and which flows back to the river system after use. In countries where return flow represents a substantial part of water withdrawal, the indicator tends to underestimate available water and therefore overestimate the level of water stress. Other limitations that affect the interpretation of the water stress indicator include: difficulty to obtain accurate, complete and up-to-date data; potentially large variation of sub-national data; lack of account of seasonal variations in water resources; lack of consideration to the distribution among water uses; lack of consideration of water quality and its suitability for use; and the indicator can be higher than 100 per cent when water withdrawal includes secondary freshwater (water withdrawn previously and returned to the system), non-renewable water (fossil groundwater), when annual groundwater withdrawal is higher than annual replenishment (over-abstraction) or when water withdrawal includes part or all of the water set aside for environmental water requirements. Some of these issues can be solved through disaggregation of the index at the level of hydrological units and by distinguishing between different use sectors. However, due to the complexity of water flows, both within a country and between countries, care should be taken not to double-count.
