Freshwater is the sustaining force for land-based life – plants, animals, humans, and beyond. Though there is abundant water on the Earth, 97% of the surface water is saltwater and does not sustain land-based life. Of the remaining 3% of freshwater, 2% is frozen in glaciers and ice sheets; thus, only 1% of the Earth’s water is accessible for terrestrial life.
Across the globe, more than 200,000 glaciers span every continent except for Australia and serve as the Earth’s natural storage tanks.
