UN warns of worsening global water shortages
The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health has warned that the world is now facing “global water bankruptcy.” According to the institute, rivers, lakes, and aquifers are being depleted faster than nature can replenish them. Kaveh Madani, the institute’s director, emphasized that the situation requires a new approach and urgent action. The report highlights the irreversible damage being done to water systems worldwide.
What we know
- The UN research institute says decades of overuse, pollution, and climate pressure have pushed many water systems beyond recovery.
- The term “water bankruptcy” is proposed to describe the state where water use exceeds resupply and damages nature so severely that previous levels cannot realistically be restored.
- Around 70 per cent of major aquifers used for drinking water and irrigation are showing long-term declines.
- More than 30 per cent of the world’s glacier mass has been lost since 1970, affecting hundreds of millions who rely on seasonal meltwater.
- Kaveh Madani urges governments to recognize the severity of the crisis and rethink their water policies.
