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UN Declares 'Post-Crisis Era' for Water
20 Jan
Summary
- World is in a 'global water bankruptcy' era, UN states.
- Half of world's largest lakes lost water since 1990s.
- 75% of people live in water-insecure or critically insecure countries.
The United Nations has declared a new reality for global water resources, labeling the situation as "global water bankruptcy" and a "post-crisis era." This shift acknowledges that conditions have surpassed a mere crisis, necessitating urgent, science-backed solutions from world leaders. Factors like irreversible natural water losses, deforestation, pollution, and global warming contribute to this critical state.
Alarming statistics underscore the severity: 50 percent of the world's largest lakes have diminished since the early 1990s, and 75 percent of the global population resides in water-insecure countries. Additionally, 2 billion people live on sinking ground, and 3.5 billion lack safely managed clean water.
Recent climate studies echo these concerns, indicating declining annual rainfall in the contiguous U.S. alongside increasing extreme rainfall events. Experts warn that if current trends continue, detrimental impacts on crop production, more frequent wildfires, and reduced water availability are expected within the next one to two decades.
The UN urges a paradigm shift in global policy, advocating for water issues to be elevated in climate negotiations and for water-bankruptcy monitoring to be integrated into global frameworks. While the "global water bankruptcy" narrative aims to spur action, there's a caution against fostering resignation; instead, highlighting successful contemporary efforts is recommended.
