Our most valuable resource

摘要

More than 60 percent of our external earnings as a country can be connected to the abundance of freshwater, which is core to New Zealand's competitive advantage and quality of life, Minister for the Environment Nick Smith said during his 2016 Lincoln Environment Lecture. New Zealand has more freshwater per capita than pretty much any nation. The average 2.3m of rain falling nationwide each year equates to 145 million litres per person per year. It is seven times as much as Australia, 16 times as much as the United States and 70 times as much per person as the UK or China.