A recent United Nations (UN) report warns that the world will face a critical shortage of water in the near future if the global population continues to rise rapidly and countries do not develop effective water management systems.
Though this warning is not new, many people still are not aware of the negative impacts of water shortages on daily activities and farming. Nations in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean are suffering the most from water shortfalls.
Global water challenges are becoming increasingly severe because of globalisation, rapid urbanisation and climate change, according to UN experts.
The UN report indicates that water supplies could be exhausted due to the difference between distribution and the demographics of the global population, along with the lack of effective measures to protect water sources.
Urban populations in these areas have experienced rapid growth, nearly tripling over the past 40 years, particularly in small and medium-sized cities in Latin America and the Caribbean, the report said.
Meanwhile, urbanisation has not only changed the population structure, but also raised many urgent issues that governments across the globe must address, such as developing efficient urban water supply systems.
The General Director of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, called on the international community to ensure adequate supplies of food and water for the world’s citizens.
The world population, which currently stands at seven billion, is expected to reach nine billion by 2050, she said, and will require 70% more food as well as 19% more water for agriculture than today. At the moment, 70% of the world’s fresh water is already being used for agricultural purposes.
She suggested that improving the management of water resources and increasing access to clean drinking water and sanitation will help raise living standards for billons, reduce maternal and infant mortality rates, and limit the spread of water related diseases.