NZ joins infamous five on water wasters list

By ANNE BESTON and AGENCIES

New Zealand is one of the world's top-five water wasters according to the first-ever "water poverty index".

Of 147 countries, New Zealand is fourth on the wasters list, not as high as the United States but well below more frugal users such as Canada and Finland.

The index was compiled by a team of 31 international researchers led by Dr Caroline Sullivan of Britain's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.

The study used data from United Nations reports to compile the index as well as figures from international conservation and environmental organisations.

The most efficient users of water were Canada, Finland, Iceland and Guyana.

The US has the dubious distinction of topping the "water wasters" list. Having the world's highest number of golf courses - 23,000 - did not help its ranking.

Countries were ranked on how much water they had, how much they used and how efficiently, access to safe water supplies and environmental health.

New Zealand's low efficiency score was due mainly to the high level of water used in industry and agriculture adjusted by those sectors' contribution to GDP.

The report said New Zealanders used 653 litres of water each a day, putting the country at the "excess use" end of the scale. Haiti and Gambia had per capita use of just 3 litres a day.

Countries with abundant water supplies included Iceland, Suriname, Guyana, Congo and Papua New Guinea. Countries with the lowest included United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

But the researchers found some arid countries, such as Saudi Arabia, scored well on the index because of effective management of water supplies.

The study, which the researchers say is a first-time stab at compiling a useful index on world water use, comes during the third World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan where 10,000 government and non-government officials from around the world will discuss global water resources.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research hydrologist Charles Pearson said the index was useful as the world struggled with the disparity between nations' water supplies.

"At a time when climate is bringing regional droughts we really might have to change our behaviour in terms of water.

"It's not how much you have but how you get it where you need it."

The World Health Organisation estimates that water-related infections hit more than 3 billion people every year, killing more than 5 million of them - mostly from diarrheal diseases.