Report: One in four people globally face extreme water scarcity I DW News
Summary
TLDRA new report by the World Resources Institute highlights the global water crisis, with a quarter of the world's population lacking access to sufficient water. The crisis, exacerbated by climate change, is especially severe in regions like the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Increasing competition for water threatens agriculture, industry, and households. While water demand in the U.S. and Europe may plateau, these regions still face water stress. Solutions include tackling climate change, improving water infrastructure, and financial support for low-income countries to manage sustainable water resources.
Takeaways
- 🚨 A new report warns that a quarter of the world's population lacks enough water to meet basic needs for drinking, agriculture, and industry.
- 🔥 Burning coal, oil, and gas is intensifying the climate crisis, leading to more extreme heatwaves and droughts, exacerbating water scarcity.
- 💧 Water scarcity is expected to worsen globally, leading to increased competition for resources, potentially cutting off access to water for essential needs like power generation, food production, and households.
- 🌍 The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are the most affected regions, with all people in the region predicted to face extreme water stress by 2050.
- 🇮🇳 Countries in South Asia, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, are also hotspots for water stress.
- 🌱 Excessive water consumption by agriculture and industry, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, is a major factor in the crisis, with water use in this region expected to double in coming decades.
- 🚱 More than half of all countries lack sustainable water management practices, posing severe risks to agriculture and local economies.
- 🛠 Improving water infrastructure and reducing waste is essential, as 30% of global freshwater is lost through leaks and poor systems.
- ♻️ There is significant potential to improve water treatment and reuse, especially in low-income countries, to prevent the contamination of natural water resources like rivers and lakes.
- 💰 Low-income countries facing severe debt crises are calling for financial support from rich nations and international institutions to invest in sustainable water management and adapt to climate change.
Q & A
What is the main concern raised in the report by the World Resources Institute?
-The report highlights that a quarter of the world's population lacks sufficient water for drinking, agriculture, and industry, and this problem is expected to worsen due to climate change and increasing demand.
How does burning fossil fuels contribute to the global water crisis?
-Burning coal, oil, and gas fuels climate change, which exacerbates water scarcity by intensifying heat waves and droughts, making water less available.
Which regions are currently the most affected by extreme water shortages?
-Countries in the Middle East and North Africa are the hardest hit, with predictions that by 2050, everyone in the region will suffer from extreme water stress. India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are also considered hotspots.
Why is water consumption in sub-Saharan Africa expected to more than double in the coming decades?
-The increase in water consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is primarily due to the expansion of agriculture for export, which will demand more water despite the region being drought-stricken.
What are some solutions mentioned to prevent future water crises?
-The report suggests sustainable water use, improving water infrastructure to reduce waste, and reusing water through better water treatment systems, particularly in low-income countries.
What challenges do low-income countries face in managing water resources?
-Low-income countries are dealing with a debt crisis, making it difficult to access financial resources for investing in sustainable water management and climate adaptation.
What role do international financial institutions play in addressing the water crisis in low-income countries?
-Institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, dominated by rich countries, are being asked by low-income nations to provide financial support and greater flexibility so they can invest in sustainable water management.
Why is water scarcity expected to have severe implications for agriculture?
-Agriculture is heavily dependent on both the timing and quantity of water. With increasing water stress, there will be more competition for water resources, potentially leading to crop failures and food shortages.
What is the significance of improving water infrastructure according to the report?
-Improving water infrastructure is crucial because a large amount of treated water, approximately 30%, is wasted due to leaks in pipelines, representing a significant loss of fresh water, money, and energy.
Why is the issue of water scarcity not being adequately addressed in major climate discussions?
-Despite its importance, water scarcity is not being prioritized in major climate discussions like COP. Experts argue that it needs more attention as water is essential for addressing broader climate impacts.
Outlines
🚨 Global Water Crisis: A Growing Concern
A new report highlights the alarming global water crisis, where a quarter of the world’s population faces water shortages for basic needs like drinking, agriculture, and industry. This issue is expected to worsen, exacerbated by climate change, with droughts and heatwaves making water even scarcer. The report warns of growing competition for water resources, leading to potential shortages for various sectors such as power production, food, and household use. Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian countries are already experiencing severe water stress, with the crisis set to worsen by 2050 due to both climate change and unsustainable water use in agriculture and industry. Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly vulnerable, with agricultural expansion contributing to rising water demand, which could more than double in the coming decades.
💧 Addressing Agricultural Water Needs
The report stresses the critical importance of sustainable water use to prevent crop failures and maintain agricultural productivity. However, many countries lack proper water management practices, leading to potential devastating consequences for agricultural industries reliant on timely and adequate water supplies. Climate discussions, such as the upcoming COP meetings, must prioritize water management, but it is often overlooked. Financial aid will be crucial for many water-stressed countries to manage the crisis, as time is running out to ensure everyone has access to the water they need.
🌍 Regional Water Challenges: Europe and the US
Despite predictions that water demand in the US and Europe will stabilize, these regions are not immune to water stress. Severe droughts in places like Southern Europe and the US highlight the ongoing challenges. Even though demand may plateau, these regions are still extracting more water than they can sustainably supply. Farmers in these regions have already protested water shortages, emphasizing the urgency of addressing water scarcity even in wealthier parts of the world.
🔧 Solutions: Limiting Climate Change and Fixing Infrastructure
Addressing water stress requires a multi-pronged approach. Limiting climate change is essential to curbing extreme droughts and heatwaves. Additionally, there is significant water waste due to poor infrastructure, with around 30% of freshwater lost to leaks. Improving infrastructure to reduce waste and increasing water treatment and reuse, especially in low-income countries, could help mitigate the crisis. By doing so, we can prevent further contamination of natural water sources like rivers and lakes, ensuring a more secure future water supply.
💰 Financial Challenges and Support for Low-Income Countries
Low-income countries face a financial burden that makes addressing the water crisis difficult. Many are already struggling with debt, limiting their ability to invest in climate adaptation and sustainable water management. These countries are calling for more financial support from international institutions like the World Bank and IMF, which are controlled by richer nations. They are also demanding direct financial aid from wealthier countries, which are historically responsible for much of the climate change driving the current crisis. This issue will be a key topic at the international climate conference in Dubai in December.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Water stress
💡Climate change
💡Drought
💡Agriculture
💡Water infrastructure
💡Global North
💡MENA region
💡Sustainable water use
💡International financial institutions
💡Water reuse
Highlights
A quarter of the world's population lacks sufficient water for drinking, agriculture, and industry, and this number is set to increase.
Burning coal, oil, and gas is fueling the climate crisis, leading to higher temperatures, more intense heatwaves, and increasing droughts.
Water is becoming increasingly scarce globally, with more competition over resources, meaning some people will lose access to essential water supplies.
25 countries are already experiencing extreme water scarcity, severely impacting food access, local economies, and the population's well-being.
By 2050, all people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) will experience extreme water stress.
South Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, are also identified as water stress hotspots.
Excessive water consumption in agriculture and industry, alongside climate change, is a significant driver of water scarcity.
Water consumption in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to more than double due to agricultural expansion, posing a critical challenge.
More than half of all countries lack sustainable water management, which could lead to dramatic crop failures.
Water stress is not limited to the global South; parts of Europe and the U.S. also face droughts and conflicts over water resources.
Improved water infrastructure is essential, as 30% of the world's freshwater is wasted through leaks in pipes.
There is significant potential for water reuse, especially in low-income countries, to prevent contamination of natural water sources.
Low-income countries face debt crises, limiting their ability to invest in sustainable water solutions and adapt to climate change.
These countries are calling on international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank for financial support to build sustainable water systems.
The discussion around financial support for water management will be a top priority at the upcoming climate conference in Dubai in December.
Transcripts
now a new report is sounding the alarm
about access to water around the world
the world of resources Institute says a
quarter of the world's population
doesn't have enough water to meet the
demand for drinking Agriculture and
Industry and that number is set to
increase
burning coal oil and gas is fueling the
climate crisis the Earth is not only
getting warmer with more intense heat
waves but droughts are also an
increasing threat water is becoming
increasingly scarce worldwide
we're going to see a lot more
competition Over The Water Resource and
that means in in years where there's
less water and we're seeing more and
more of those years someone's tap will
be turned off right someone won't be
able to access that water when they need
it and that could either be water for
you know power production if we're
thinking of the Mena region
um that could be water for households
water for food so the the stakes are
really high here 25 countries are
already affected by an extreme lack of
water it's having severe consequences
for people access to food and local
economies countries in the Middle East
and North Africa are the hardest hit by
2050 all people in the region will
suffer from extreme water stress India
Bangladesh Pakistan and Sri Lanka are
also among the hot spots besides climate
change excessive water consumption by
Agriculture and the industry is the main
reason for the crisis while water
consumption in the global North will
barely increase in the coming decades it
will more than double in the
drought-stricken sub-Saharan Africa
region this is mainly due to the
expansion of Agriculture for export
to prevent dramatic crop failures a more
sustainable use of water is needed but
this is lacking in more than half of all
countries
so that's going to have huge
implications especially on our
agricultural Industries which are so
dependent on the timing and quantity of
water so I think this is a really
important issue to keep in mind as we're
going into cop as we're going into these
big climate discussions we can't afford
to leave water behind but we don't see
it being mentioned as a priority
something that we should really be
thinking about in these conversations
many of the hot spot countries will need
financial support to better manage the
Water Crisis and time is running out to
make sure everyone in the world has
access to the water they need
well that report was produced by DW
reporter Tim Schoenberg who joins us now
welcome at Tim
um one bit of good news I suppose from
this report from the World Resources
Institute is their prediction that water
demand in the US and Europe will Plateau
in the coming decades does that mean
those regions won't face water stress
no definitely not just because your and
my tap is running regularly it doesn't
mean that these regions don't have water
stress at all we have seen droughts in
the U.S we have seen severe drought
extreme droughts in southern France in
southern Spain in France even with
conflicts violent conflicts over water
in Spain as well protests by Farmers so
just because the the projection that
there won't be much more demand in in
these regions doesn't mean that this
Region's U.S and Europe do not extract
more water than they actually have
so how do we tackle this issue
well first of all limiting climate
change uh limiting climate change means
limiting more extreme droughts and more
extreme heat waves so secondly there's a
huge waste of water through bad water
infrastructure 30 percent of global
fresh water is wasted through leaks of
pipes meaning fresh water is already
being treated on the way to the consumer
is it households or industrial
production and just through a leak it's
basically wasted it's a waste of money
and energy and thirdly water treatments
um particularly in the global South and
low-income countries there's huge
potential to reuse the water which is
already in the system and by that also
preventing to contaminate the natural
water resources that we already have
rivers lakes through sewage or
Industrial Waste Waters those resources
are essential to secure a future water
supply
Hawaiian country is most threatened by
water stress investing more in
sustainable water use
well low-income countries have huge debt
they're basically facing a debt crisis
and that makes it difficult for them to
Access Financial Resources money on the
on the international financial markets
and um therefore they are demanding from
International financial institutions
like the international monetary fund
like the World Bank which are dominated
by Rich countries to give them more
financial space they call it to
basically build up the financial
capacities to at least invest to adapt
in climate change and invest in
sustainable development
um additionally they ask richer
countries for direct support
um as rich countries are responsible
historically responsible for climate
change they demand give us direct money
so we are we can build up the capacities
this discussion has been going on for
years now and will be once again one of
the top priorities at the international
climate conference in Dubai taking place
in December this year thank
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