6 Bln People to Face Water Shortages by 2050

The scarcity of clean water threatens around 6 billion people worldwide by the year 2050. 

Countries in the Sub-Saharan region and the Middle East are particularly facing severe water stress.

European nations like Italy, Spain, and Belgium are also at high risk of water-related challenges.

The situation is expected to worsen due to factors like increased population, intensive economic development, expanding droughts exacerbated by climate change, and other issues addressed in a special comprehensive report by the Middle East.

A recent report on water scarcity risk assessment by the Global Water Institute highlights an unprecedented water crisis that affects numerous countries.

New data shows that 25 countries, housing a quarter of the world's population, are currently experiencing extremely high annual water stress.

Water scarcity is defined as a quantitative or qualitative deficiency in water supply. Over the past decade, global water use has increased at twice the rate of population growth.

Today, nearly two-thirds of the world's population faces acute water scarcity at least once a year, and 2.3 billion people live in water-scarce countries.

One billion people, representing 26% of the world's population, lack access to safely managed drinking water services.

Arab countries are not immune to these risks and face a severe crisis in providing fresh water.

The Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) notes that the Arab region is among the most vulnerable to water stress due to limited renewable resources and excessive exploitation of available sources. Eighteen Arab countries are classified as water-scarce, while 14 Arab countries are among the most water-scarce globally.

Iraq and Syria are witnessing the worst drought in decades, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions.

This summer, water levels in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers hit record lows, resulting in decreased agricultural production, increased waterborne diseases, and population displacement.

This drought is attributed to various factors, including climate change, population growth, and upstream control of water flow by source countries.