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Why is fresh water scarce on many coral atolls?

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Map of the Pacific Islands region showing political boundaries, major island groups, and countries such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, and Kiribati. The map uses color shading to indicate elevation and ocean depth, with key islands and capitals labeled throughout the central and southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Pacific Islands

Fresh water is scarce on many coral atolls primarily because these landmasses are very small and low-lying, which prevents the formation of rivers or significant streams.1

Because of their limited size and composition, these islands lack the geological features necessary to store large quantities of water. Instead, the rain that falls on an atoll permeates the coral and is stored in a thin, lens-shaped layer that sits above the heavier, underlying salt water. Due to this restricted capacity, island communities must rely on wells and rainwater storage tanks to manage their limited supply.1