Surprisingly, there are several sovereign countries around the world that have no permanent rivers flowing through their territory. These include large desert states, small islands, and tiny city-states. Harsh climate, low rainfall, small land size, or arid terrain prevent formation of perennial rivers in these nations. Instead, they depend on a combination of groundwater, rainfall harvesting, desalinated seawater, seasonal streams, and advanced water management systems to meet their freshwater needs.

Take for instance a desert-filled Gulf nation that relies heavily on desalination plants and deep-aquifer water because surface water is nearly non-existent. Another island country in the Mediterranean — despite having a stable population and developed infrastructure — simply lacks enough rainfall and geographic scope for river formation, so groundwater, rain capture and strict conservation are the norm. Some of the smallest countries in the world, including micro-states enveloped within other nations, survive entirely on imported or piped-in water, using their host’s infrastructure. 

Here are the 10 countries with no permanent rivers as listed in:

1. Saudi Arabia

2. Malta

3. Bahrain

4. Kuwait

5. Qatar

6. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

7. Yemen

8. Vatican City

9. Monaco

10. Nauru

What these diverse countries share is an adaptive resilience: rather than depend on rivers, they have built — often over decades — robust water-supply systems, combining technology with traditional methods. Their experience demonstrates that with planning, innovation and disciplined water use, even “riverless” countries can sustain urban growth, agriculture, and human life.