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World facing severe water crisis: United Nations

Friday, 20 March 2015 10:05 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 20 March 2015 10:04 AM ]

Water is allocated to people in China's Guangxi Zhuang region on September 7, 2011.

The United Nations has warned that the world will plunge into a severe water crisis in the near future unless countries adopt universal reforms.

Current trends on the use of the precious resource will place the world at a 40-percent water deficit by 2030, the UN said in its annual World Water Development Report on Friday.

“The fact is there is enough water to meet the world's needs, but not without dramatically changing the way water is used, managed and shared,” the report said.

The UN pointed to a laundry list of present abuses, including contamination of water by pesticides, industrial pollution and runoff from untreated sewage, and overexploitation. Climate change and urbanization will also add to the coming crisis.

A file photo of polluted stormwater runoff from an underground drain

Finding a solution to the problem

Tackling the issue requires smart and responsive governance that pushes rules and incentives to curb waste, punishes pollution, encourages innovation and nurtures habitats that provide havens for biodiversity and water for humans, the report said.

“Measurability, monitoring and implementation” are certain measures urgently needed to make water use sustainable, added Michel Jarraud, head of the UN-Water and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

A file photo of Indians cleaning their clothes on the river Ganges

One of the biggest drivers behind the upcoming water crisis is a surge in population growth, the report said.

By 2050, global demand for water is expected to increase by 55 percent, mainly due to urban growth.

“Cities will have to go further or dig deeper to access water, or will have to depend on innovative solutions or advanced technologies to meet their water demands," the UN said.

A file photo of a researcher taking a sample from a polluted water source

The upcoming water crisis would be particularly deleterious on hot, dry and thirsty regions which are already struggling with relentless demand, the report highlighted.

“Parts of China, India and the United States, as well as in the Middle East, have been relying on the unsustainable extraction of groundwater to meet existing water demands,” said Richard Connor, a water expert and the report's lead author, adding that some of these areas may become uninhabitable.

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