Latin America and the Caribbean have 13% of all the world's water supplies.  But, like in many other parts of the world, water resources are distributed on a highly inequitable basis.

Some parts of the region have severe water shortages.  Included among these are northern Mexico, northeastern Brazil, and southern Chile.  Many other areas are arid, with about 334 million hectares of land in South America classified as semi-arid, arid or hyper-arid.

Although some areas in Latin America receive enough rainfall from an annual perspective, water falls very haphazardly.

The random rain means that agriculture is nearly impossible.  Also, long dry seasons make growing crops and living in certain areas extremely difficult.

Even in areas where water is available, it is often unclean.  Human sewage, eutrophication, and industrial pollution can all cause the water supply to become contaminated.  This water often affects the health of those who drink it.

Agriculture, mining, and industrial pollution are all responsible for contaminating water supplies.  In Colombia, the Medellín and the Bogotá rivers are so contaminated that they are almost completely out of dissolved oxygen, preventing life.

Deforestation has produced erosion, meaning that soil has gotten into the water supply.  This has decreased the water's quality significantly.  Also, the lack of forests often alters the course of a body of water, and can interfere with the construction of dams and reservoirs.