Geography · GCSE · Resources & Environment

Global water supply: surplus and deficit

Global water supply: surplus and deficitFree5:19Heddy Score 3 of 7, below the standard

What you need to know

  • Earth cannot run out of water because of the water cycle, but very little of it is fresh, liquid and easy to reach.
  • About 97% of Earth's water is salty and most fresh water is locked in ice, leaving under 1% in rivers, lakes and groundwater.
  • Water is unevenly spread: some regions get little rain, and moving water to them is costly.
  • Many places use rivers and aquifers faster than rain refills them, so scarcity is a local problem of overuse.
  • Agriculture uses most of the world's water; efficient irrigation, drought-tolerant crops and less food waste reduce demand.

In this clip

0:07–4:40Water scarcity
Also coversGlobal water supply: surplus and deficit
Heddy Score3/7, Below the standard
See the seven stars
  • Trusted source · passed. The creator's own upload, live and playable here.
  • On the map · not judged yet. A teacher watched it: it mainly teaches this map topic.
  • Spec-true · not judged yet. Accurate, and right for the current UK specification.
  • Focused · passed. One idea, short enough to watch in one go.
  • Accessible · passed. Good captions, clear sound and pictures.
  • Safe for children · not judged yet. Right for 11 to 16 year olds, with no sales pitch.
  • Proven · not judged yet. Earned from our students: they learn from it, find it helpful and watch it to the end.
★ passed · ☆ pending · ✕ failed
Our students

Not enough students yet

Our own students' answers. These are what move ★7 Proven.
On YouTube

1.11M views · 18.3K likes · TED-Ed 23M subscribers

As reported by YouTube on 2026-11-01. Not part of the Heddy Score.
How the Heddy Score works

Why we picked it

A clear animated explanation of why water scarcity comes from uneven distribution and overuse rather than a global shortage.

TED-Ed on YouTubechecked 2026-10-22

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