{"id":86521,"date":"2023-08-02T07:02:23","date_gmt":"2023-08-02T11:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/v99news.com\/a-quarter-of-humanity-faces-extreme-water-stress-and-its-poised-to-get-worse-new-report-finds-cnn\/"},"modified":"2023-08-17T02:51:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-17T06:51:28","slug":"a-quarter-of-humanity-faces-extreme-water-stress-and-its-poised-to-get-worse-new-report-finds-cnn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/v99news.com\/a-quarter-of-humanity-faces-extreme-water-stress-and-its-poised-to-get-worse-new-report-finds-cnn\/","title":{"rendered":"A quarter of humanity faces extreme water stress — and it’s poised to get worse, new report finds | CNN"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \n The world is facing an \u201cunprecedented water crisis<\/a>\u201d driven by soaring demand and the accelerating climate crisis, according to a new report.\n <\/p>\n \n A quarter of the world\u2019s population currently faces \u201cextremely high water stress\u201d each year, with an additional 1 billion people <\/strong>expected to be affected by 2050, according the World Resources Institute\u2019s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas published Wednesday.\n <\/p>\n \n Extremely high water stress means countries are using almost all the water they have \u2013 at least 80% of their renewable supply, according to the report, which is published every four years.\n <\/p>\n \n The report found that 25 countries, representing 25% of the global population, experience extremely high water stress each year, with Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon and Oman the five most affected. Even a short-term drought could put these places at risk of running out of water.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWater is arguably our most important resource on the planet and yet we\u2019re not managing it in a way that reflects that,\u201d said Samantha Kuzma, Aqueduct data lead from WRI\u2019s water program and a report author. <\/strong>\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cI\u2019ve been working in water for close to 10 years, and unfortunately, the story has been the same almost the entire 10 years,\u201d Kuzma told CNN.\n <\/p>\n \n Globally, demand for water has more than doubled since 1960, and the report projects that it will rise by a further 20 to 25% by 2050.\n <\/p>\n \n Increased water demand stems from a range of factors, including growing populations and the demands of industries such as agriculture, along with unsustainable water use policies and a lack of investment in infrastructure.\n <\/p>\n \n In the Middle East and North Africa, the world\u2019s most water-stressed regions, the entire population will live with extremely high water stress by mid-century, the report predicts, affecting drinking water supplies, damaging industries and potentially fueling political conflict.\n <\/p>\n \n The biggest change in water demand will occur in sub-Saharan Africa according to the report, which projects a 163% increase in water demand by 2050.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cOne look at sub-Saharan Africa, we see demand for water skyrocketing,\u201d Kuzma said, mainly for domestic water use and crop irrigation.\n <\/p>\n \n In North America and Europe, water demand has plateaued, helped by investment in water use efficiency measures. But that doesn\u2019t mean parts of these regions aren\u2019t affected.\n <\/p>\n \n In the US, six states experience extremely high water stress, according to the report. Six of the seven states in the Colorado River Basin<\/a>, including Arizona and New Mexico, are in the top 10 most water-stressed states in the US.\n <\/p>\n \n Water resources also extend beyond country borders, Kuzma said. \u201cWe\u2019re all impacted if water stress is essentially turning off the tap and preventing different countries from producing certain commodities.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n And, under it all, climate change is worsening the crisis.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWater is how climate change most directly impacts people around the world,\u201d said Charles Iceland, global director of water with WRI\u2019s Food, Forests, Water, and the Ocean Program.\n <\/p>\n
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