1 of 1 Water shortage — Photo: Giuliano Gomes/PR Press Water shortage — Photo: Giuliano Gomes/PR Press
A report published by the UN this Tuesday (21) warns of the risk of a global water shortage crisis. According to the document, seasonal scarcity of the resource could be more prevalent in South America and other parts of the world.
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The publication came one day before the start of the UN water conference. At a news conference, the report’s editorinchief Richard Connor said there were uncertainties amid a scenario that indicated increased demand and reduced water availability.
“If we don’t solve this, there will definitely be a global crisis,” he said.
According to the report, global water use has increased by 1% per year over the past 40 years. According to estimates, the growth rate will continue at this level until 2050.
“Water scarcity is becoming endemic due to the local effects of physical water stress, along with the acceleration and spread of freshwater pollution,” the document quotes.
Data from the report obtained in 2020 shows that 2 billion people do not have access to safely managed drinking water services, which is 26% of the world’s population. 3.6 billion people (46% of the population) now have no access to sanitation.
impact
As a result of pollution and increased consumption, places with abundant water resources, such as parts of South America, Central Africa, and East Asia, may experience prolonged seasons of water scarcity.
In regions where water is already scarce, such as the Middle East and Africa, the trend is towards an even worse scenario in the coming years.
The report highlights that water partnerships and collaboration are needed to avoid a global crisis.
“There is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO DirectorGeneral.
According to the UN report, progress towards the United Nations 2030 goals for water and sanitation is on track.