10 percent of the world’s population will have too little water in the future

According to a United Nations (UN) study, the worldwide shortage of drinking water will increase further. This is a result of increasing environmental problems and economic difficulties in combination with increased freshwater pollution.

This is the world water report that the cultural organization Unesco published on Wednesday at the start of the UN water conference in New York. “Depending on the season, water becomes scarce due to climate change, both where it is still abundant today – such as Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America – and deteriorating where it is already scarce – such as the Middle East . and in the Sahel.”

According to the report, an average of 10 percent of the world’s population lives in countries at high or critical risk of water scarcity each year. The UN estimates that there are currently more than eight billion people on the planet.

First all-water conference since 1977

Wednesday was the start of the UN water conference in New York. It is the first major UN meeting since 1977 to exclusively address the theme of water.

Halfway through the so-called International Water Action Decade from 2018 to 2028, an interim assessment will be drawn up no later than Friday. Particular attention is paid to the extent to which internationally agreed goals, including the UN Sustainable Development Goal on access for all people to clean water, can be achieved.

Uno: Insufficient progress

The UN study calls progress in achieving the sustainability goal and the sub-goals insufficient. “To achieve some goals, an implementation speed that is at least four times faster is needed,” it says. Two billion people worldwide – about one in four – do not have access to clean water.

According to the report, global water use is expected to increase at about 1 percent per year through 2050, similar to the rate of the past 40 years. In poorer countries, the greatest risk is poor water quality, while in industrialized countries, agricultural consumption is problematic. Due to the climate crisis, certain regions are increasingly exposed to extreme and prolonged droughts, with serious consequences for flora and fauna. (sda/dpa)