A recent study highlights an impending worldwide water shortage that could leave millions and millions of individuals without an approach to clean water by 2040. The World Resources Institute (WRI) predicts that regions like the Middle East, the Northern side of Africa, and South Asia will be among the hardest hit by water shortage.
The WRI analysis utilizes the "water depression" ratio, which compares H2O abolition to renewable freshwater contributions, to gauge the extent of the crisis. When the ratio surpasses 25%, it indicates water scarcity. In 2018, the world consumed 18.4% of its clean water supplies, as per the study.
The WRI study indicates that 44 regions are predicted to go through extreme water shortage by 2040, with many also grappling with rising sea levels. Moreover, by 2040, more than 50% of the world's inhabitants will reside in regions with a significant water crisis.
In particular, the Mid East and Northern Africa will be the worst affected, with nearly their entire populations residing in regions with extreme H2O shortages. South Asia will also see a significant rise in this problem, with more than half of the residents of India and Pakistan expected to survive in high-water depressed regions.
The report highlights how climate transformation is predicted to exacerbate the water shortage. Warming temperatures and transforming precipitation patterns will make it increasingly hard to manage water resources, particularly in areas already under water stress.
To address this crisis, the report calls for immediate investments in water-saving technologies and practices, improved water governance and management, and equitable and sustainable water distribution. Additionally, the report underscores the need for better data and water resource monitoring to help decision-makers manage water resources and adapt to changing circumstances.
Read next: Breath of Fresh Air: Six Proven Steps for Cities to Improve Air Quality
The WRI analysis utilizes the "water depression" ratio, which compares H2O abolition to renewable freshwater contributions, to gauge the extent of the crisis. When the ratio surpasses 25%, it indicates water scarcity. In 2018, the world consumed 18.4% of its clean water supplies, as per the study.
The WRI study indicates that 44 regions are predicted to go through extreme water shortage by 2040, with many also grappling with rising sea levels. Moreover, by 2040, more than 50% of the world's inhabitants will reside in regions with a significant water crisis.
In particular, the Mid East and Northern Africa will be the worst affected, with nearly their entire populations residing in regions with extreme H2O shortages. South Asia will also see a significant rise in this problem, with more than half of the residents of India and Pakistan expected to survive in high-water depressed regions.
The report highlights how climate transformation is predicted to exacerbate the water shortage. Warming temperatures and transforming precipitation patterns will make it increasingly hard to manage water resources, particularly in areas already under water stress.
To address this crisis, the report calls for immediate investments in water-saving technologies and practices, improved water governance and management, and equitable and sustainable water distribution. Additionally, the report underscores the need for better data and water resource monitoring to help decision-makers manage water resources and adapt to changing circumstances.
Read next: Breath of Fresh Air: Six Proven Steps for Cities to Improve Air Quality
