| Water resources management in Nicaragua[1] | |
|---|---|
| Withdrawals by sector 2000 |
|
| Renewable water resources | 189.7 km3 (45.5 cu mi) |
| Surface water produced internally | 192.6 km3 (46.2 cu mi) |
| Groundwater recharge | 59 km3 (14 cu mi) |
| Overlap shared by surface water and groundwater | 55 km3 (13 cu mi) |
| Renewable water resources per capita | 34,692 m3/a (1,225,100 cu ft/a) |
| Wetland designated as Ramsar sites | 405,691 ha (1,002,480 acres) |
| Hydropower generation | 10% |
Water resources management in Nicaragua is carried out by the National water utility and regulated by the Nicaraguan Institute of water. Nicaragua has ample water supplies in rivers, groundwater, lagoons, and significant rainfall. Distribution of rainfall is uneven though with more rain falling on an annual basis in the Caribbean lowlands and much lower amounts falling in the inland areas. Significant water resources management challenges include contaminated surface water from untreated domestic and industrial wastewater, and poor overall management of the available water resources.
The legal framework has historically been fundamentally flawed by a lack of specific water laws and regulations with numerous agencies sharing management duties. There was a 1998 reform aimed a specifying management roles for each of the management institutions and a National Water Law was approved in 2007 that focuses on water resources and regulates water use of different sectors.