The earth's surface is 71% water, but the Middle East and North Africa have access to barely any of it. The region is the most water scarce in the world, home to just 1% of the world's freshwater resources. Countries in the region are withdrawing ground water at a rate faster than it can be replenished, and most of the water is for agriculture. Many countries are producing their own water from seawater through a process known as desalination. Approximately 75% of the world's desalinated water in produced in the Middle East/North Africa region. More than 300 million people around the world depend on desalinated water for the daily needs.