Report Warns Of Looming Global Water Crisis

Fresh and clean water is a precious commodity that many of us take for granted.

2 billion people are living in water-stressed countries and 3.6 billion people around the world face inadequate access to water at least one month out of the year.

Photo: Pixabay/ExplorerBob

As if those stats weren’t bad enough, a recent report conducted by World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with the help of 20 international organizations, states that the number of people facing water insecurity will increase to 5 billion people by 2050.

Climate change, increase in population, and natural disasters have only fueled the water crisis around the world.

“Increasing temperatures are resulting in global and regional precipitation changes, leading to shifts in rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, with a major impact on food security and human health and well-being,” said World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

Photo: Pixabay/ Tri Le

Floods and droughts have increased in frequency over the past two decades. The report found, “Since 2000, flood-related disasters have increased by 134%, and the number and duration of droughts also increased by 29%.”

Asia has been hit the hardest with floods while Africa suffered the most drought-related deaths.

Photo: Pixabay/Charles Nambasi

The sobering truth is 99% of the Earth’s water is unusable by humans.

“In 2020, 3.6 billion people lacked safely managed sanitation services, 2.3 billion lacked basic hygiene services and more than 2 billion live in water-stressed countries with lack of access to safe drinking water,” states the report.

But there is some good news.

Photo: Pixabay/rony michaud

Countries are aware of the water crisis and working to improve it.

The solution is comprised of many steps. Here are a few of the recommendations suggested in the report:

– Invest in Integrated Resources Water Management as a solution to better manage water stress, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

– Invest in end-to-end drought and flood early warning systems in at-risk LDCs, including for drought warning in Africa and flood warning in Asia.

– Increase funding and investment in this precious commodity.

Prof. Taalas said the world needs to “wake up to the looming water crisis.”

Learn more by watching this video.

Help protect the United States’ largest source of fresh drinking water by signing the petition below.

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