The Guardian - Global water crisis leaves half of world food production at risk in next 25 years
“We have to think radically about how we are going to preserve the sources of fresh water, how we are going to use it far more efficiently, and how we are going to be able to have access to fresh water available to every community, including the vulnerable – in other words, how we preserve equity [between rich and poor],”
The water crisis has an outsized impact on women, one of the commission’s co-chairs said. Photograph: Anjum Naveed/AP.
This recent article from The Guardian warns that more than half of the world’s food production is at risk within the next 25 years due to the escalating global water crisis. The landmark review, published by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, emphasizes the urgent need for governments to take immediate action to conserve water resources and protect the ecosystems that sustain fresh water supplies.
“Water is victim number one of the [climate crisis], the environmental changes we see now aggregating at the global level, putting the entire stability of earth’s systems at risk,”
The report highlights that water scarcity already affects half of the world’s population, and demand for fresh water will exceed supply by 40% by the end of the decade. This shortfall is driven by overexploitation and the climate crisis, which is intensifying droughts and floods across the globe. The commission also found that while people require approximately 4,000 liters of water per day to lead dignified lives, local water systems are unable to meet these demands, making regions reliant on trade for food and goods.
Experts have called for a fundamental rethink of global water management, urging nations to treat water as a "global common good" and collaborate on preserving water sources. The report also points to the harmful impact of misdirected agricultural subsidies, which encourage excessive water use, and the disproportionate burden on developing countries that lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation.
As the world grapples with the complex challenges posed by water scarcity and climate change, initiatives like the Canada1Water project (C1W) become increasingly vital. C1W offers essential data and insights into the impacts of climate change on water systems, helping policymakers and researchers develop sustainable strategies to secure global water resources for the future.