Study finds 25 countries face extreme water stress
[ad_1]
According to the new researchtwenty-five countries, home to a quarter of the world’s population, face extreme water stress.
Data from the World Resources Institute shows that these countries regularly use 80% of their water supplies each year.
The WRI Aqueduct Water Risk Map shows that demand for water is growing worldwide and has more than doubled since 1960.
While demand for water in Europe and the US has stabilized, it is growing rapidly in Africa. It is predicted that by 2050 the demand for water worldwide will increase by 20-25%.
Saudi Arabia, Chile, San Marino, Belgium and Greece are among the 25 most water-stressed countries. The top five most water-stressed countries are Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman.
Globally, about 4 billion people, or half of the world’s population, experience extremely high water stress for at least one month of the year, according to Aqueduct’s analysis. By 2050, this number could approach 60%.
“Living with this level of water stress puts lives, jobs, food and energy security at risk. Water plays a central role in growing crops and livestock, generating electricity, keeping people healthy, building equitable societies and achieving global climate goals. Without better water management, population growth, economic development, and climate change could exacerbate water scarcity,” the authors of the report say.
According to Aqueduct, by 2050, 31% of global GDP — worth $70 trillion — will be exposed to water stress, up from 24% ($15 trillion) in 2010. Four countries — India, Mexico, Egypt and Turkey — will account for more than half of the GDP at risk in 2050.
[ad_2]
Source link
