Dam capacity per capita
Dam capacity per capita
https://www.fao.org/aquastat/en/databases/dams
| Title | Dam capacity per capita |
| Unit of measure | Cubic metre/inhabitants |
| Source data | AQUASTAT – FAO’s Global Information System on Water and Agriculture |
| Original data source | AQUASTAT – FAO’s Global Information System on Water and Agriculture |
| Statistical concepts and definition | Measures the total capacity of a country's dams divided by its population. This statistical concept reflects the amount of water available for storage to support various needs – including agricultural irrigation, hydroelectric power, and municipal water supply – on a per-person basis. Data gathering involves collecting information on the number and capacity of dams within a country and dividing this by the population size to yield a per capita figure. |
| Relevance | Higher dam capacity per capita suggests that a country has greater resources to manage water supply during periods of low rainfall and increased drought conditions. This capacity can be pivotal in maintaining agricultural productivity, supporting energy generation, and providing consistent water supply to urban and rural populations during droughts. Monitoring dam capacity per capita allows policymakers and water resource managers to assess the adequacy of existing water infrastructure in mitigating drought impacts and plan for future water resource management strategies to enhance resilience against climate variability and water scarcity. |
| Time coverage | Annual |
| Sector coverage | Infrastructure/Health |
| Data compilation | AQUASTAT gathers detailed information about dams in each country, especially on location, height, reservoir capacity, surface area and main purpose. At present information on over 14 000 dams is available. New data are usually collected during the country update processes. AQUASTAT’s data was an important input into the Global Reservoirs and Dams (GRanD) database, especially for African dams. The database is also used to estimate the evaporation from reservoirs, generating a national-level figure for often ignored statistics that in some areas can be quite significant. Total dam capacities are introduced into the AQUASTAT core database, and additional details are also provided. |
| Relationship* | -1 |
* This field expresses the impact on vulnerability. The minus sign indicates that it has a vulnerability-decreasing impact (positive impact on resilience), and the plus sign indicates a vulnerability-increasing impact.