The Nile, which stretches an extraordinary 6,650 km, remains not only the longest river in Africa but one of the longest on Earth. It threads through 11 countries, from Burundi and Uganda to Sudan and Egypt, forming the backbone of agriculture and life along its banks.

Nearly 300 million people depend directly on the Nile Basin for survival.

Flowing west to east, the Niger River, at 4,200 km, is the lifeline of West Africa, curving through Guinea, Mali, Niger and Nigeria before emptying into the Gulf of Guinea.

It supports millions of farmers and fishers and anchors some of the region’s largest urban centres. The Niger Basin Authority notes that the river sustains over 160 million people in nine countries.

In Central Africa, the Congo River runs 4,700 km, carving through one of the world’s largest rainforest ecosystems. It carries more water than any river in Africa and is second only to the Amazon globally.

The Congo Basin is home to over 80 million people and provides critical carbon storage for the planet, a fact repeatedly emphasised in global climate discussions.

To the south, the Zambezi River, which spans 2,600 km, crosses Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It is the river behind Victoria Falls and fuels major hydroelectric projects such as the Kariba and Cahora Bassa dams, which power much of southern Africa.

Despite the continent's numerous water resources, the Horn of Africa continues to experience climate-driven droughts alternating with destructive floods, which amplify tensions over Nile water rights.

Hydropolitics, the politics of water, is increasingly shaping diplomatic relations. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), for instance, remains a focal point of negotiation between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.

Yet much of it is locked away in glaciers, ice caps, or deep underground, making accessible freshwater even scarcer.

As global populations grow and climate change intensifies, the demand for clean, reliable water sources is surging—putting pressure on governments, communities, and ecosystems alike.

According to the World Bank , this is how fresh water resources are scattered around the world:

Brazil (13.2%)

In Brazil, the Amazon Basin alone accounts for one-fifth of the world’s river flow, supporting 60% of global rainforests and 10% of all known species.

Russia (10.1%)

With thousands of rivers and lakes, including Lake Baikal—which holds 20% of the world’s unfrozen freshwater—Russia is a freshwater powerhouse.

Canada (6.7%)

Home to over two million lakes and a significant portion of the Great Lakes, Canada holds 84% of North America’s surface freshwater.

United States (6.6%)

Rivers like the Mississippi, Colorado, and Columbia are vital water sources, though regions such as the Southwest face growing scarcity due to overdrawn aquifers.

China (6.6%)

The Yangtze River in China is essential for agriculture and industry, sustaining over 400 million people. However, water availability remains a pressing geopolitical challenge.