Table 4. General characteristics of the seven river basins examined in this study. River basin (continent) Countries sharing drainage basin Drainage area (km²) Average annual precipitation Flood risk? Recent flood events Drought risk? Recent drought events Amudarya (Asia) Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afganistan, Kyrgyz Republic 309 000 200 mm/yr on average (50–800 mm/yr) Yes 2005 Yes 2000, 2001 Elbe (Europe) Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and Poland 148 268 450–1600 mm/yr Yes 2002 Yes 2003 Guadiana (Europe) Spain, Portugal 66 800 400–600 mm/yr Not very high 1997, 2004 Yes 1991–1995 Nile (Africa) Burundi, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo 3 112 369 3–2000 mm/yr Yes 2002 Yes Annual Orange (Africa) Lesotho, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana 896 368 25–2000 mm/yr Yes 2000 Yes 1991–1993 Lesotho: 1994–1997 Rhine (Europe) Austria, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands 185 000 700–1200 mm/yr Yes 1993, 1995, 1999 (Oberrhein) Yes 2003, 2005, 2006 Tisza (Europe) Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro 157 218 500–1700 mm/yr Yes 2001, 2005 Yes 1998, 2001