The line graph illustrates global water consumption by three sectors – agriculture, industry and domestic use – over the course of the 20th century, while the table compares water usage in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2000.
Overall, worldwide water use increased substantially in all sectors, with agricultural consumption rising most dramatically. In the same year, Brazil used far more water than the DRC, a difference largely explained by Brazil’s much larger population and irrigated land area.
From 1900 to 2000, agricultural water use increased almost sixfold, from just under 500 km³ to around 3,000 km³, showing the steepest and most consistent upward trend. Industrial consumption also grew steadily, beginning at about 100 km³ in 1900 and reaching roughly 1,200 km³ by 2000. Domestic use, although much lower overall, rose gradually from approximately 50 km³ to around 300 km³ over the same period.
The table shows significant contrasts between the two countries in 2000. Brazil, with a population of 176 million, consumed 359 m³ of water per person and had 26,500 km² of irrigated land. In comparison, the DRC’s population was only 5.2 million, and it had a mere 100 km² of irrigated land. As a result, its per-capita water consumption was extremely low, at only 8 m³.
In summary, water use increased across all sectors globally throughout the 20th century, particularly in agriculture, while national water consumption levels varied greatly depending on population size and the extent of irrigated land.