Nature and Biodiversity

4 billion people face water shortages, scientists find

Are we heading for peak water? Image: REUTERS/Cheryl Ravelo

José Santiago

According to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report 2016, water crises are one of the three biggest challenges we face. A new study has backed up these findings, estimating that 4 billion people – two-thirds of the global population – are facing water scarcity.

This figure is bigger than previously thought. In the past, studies looked at water scarcity on an annual basis. They concluded that between 1.7 billion and 3.1 billion people were affected. This latest study instead examined water scarcity on a monthly level, which gives a more accurate reflection of just how severe the problem has become: "Water scarcity has become a global problem affecting us all," the authors point out.

Nearly half of the people suffering from water scarcity live in India and China; around the world, close to half a billion people face water scarcity throughout the year.

The study also focuses on other regions, such as parts of the US, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.

Figure 1: Quarterly averaged monthly blue water scarcity

Source: Science Advances

Already, 500 million people live in places where water consumption is double the amount replenished by rain for the whole year, creating very difficult living conditions as underground aquifers are drained. But according to the researchers, the problem will become even more acute as populations grow and water use continues to rise.

So what are we to do? According to the study, we need to make better – and fairer – use of what we already have. But it won't be easy, they admit: "It will be one of the most difficult and important challenges of this century."

Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Fresh Water

Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Fresh Water is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

How the Himalayas are being restored through participatory forest management

Aditi Mishra and Ar. Sachin Uniyal

October 31, 2024

Biodiversity declining even faster in 'protected areas', and other nature and climate stories you need to read this week

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum