The planet is under threat of a global water crisis that threatens to spiral out of control in the future as rising demand and the escalating effects of the climate crisis put enormous pressure on water resources, the UN warns.

Water consumption has been increasing at about 1% per year over the past 40 years due to population growth and changes in consumption, according to the UN World Water Development Report, released on Tuesday ahead of a major water summit. NY.

Without action to address water scarcity, “there is bound to be a global crisis,” lead author Richard Connor of the report said at a press conference marking its launch.

“Deadly Consequences”

Access to water is already largely problematic. According to the report, two billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion people lack access to safe sanitation..

About 10% of the world’s population lives in countries where there is already a major water crisis. Connor noted that urban and industrial development and agriculture are exacerbating existing shortages, with agriculture accounting for 70% of global consumption.

The report says that seasonal water shortages will increase in areas where there is currently a lot of water, including Central Africa, East Asia and parts of South America. Water scarcity will worsen in the Middle East and the Sahel region of Africa, where water is already scarce.

Extreme and prolonged droughts, more frequent and severe due to the climate crisis, are also putting pressure on ecosystems, with potentially “terrible consequences” for plants and animals, according to the authors of the report.

Conflict over water?

One proposal highlights the need for improved international cooperation to avoid conflicts over water. Flood and pollution control, data sharing and efforts to reduce pollution caused by global warming should lead to further cooperation and increased funding for water resources, Connor said.

“There is an urgent need to create credible international mechanisms to prevent an uncontrolled global water crisis,” said Audrey Azoulay, director general of UNESCO, the UN cultural agency.

“Water is our common future, and it is important that we act together to distribute it fairly and manage it rationally.”

Source: CNN