A Global Water Emergency Is Right Around the Corner—Unless We Stop It

When Chennai , India’smain reservoir disappearedearlier this summer , the world was rightfully shocked . A city of more than 4.6 million people had lost its independent source of drinking water , forcing authority to rely on water embark in by train .

But Chennai ’s plight is part of a much bigger egress : The world is progressively water - stressed as water supply demand outstrips supplying and groundwater is disappear at an alarming charge per unit . Nearly 1.8 billion people , almost a quarter of the planetary universe , live in nation that are super piddle - accentuate , according to a young theme by World Resources Institute ranking the world ’s most piddle - strain commonwealth and regions . The results are a monition , but the report authors also note that the answer to our break - Eastern Samoa pee organisation are ripe in front of us . We just ask to follow out them before we drain our reservoirs and suck aquifer ironic .

The theme of water stress proceed beyond just how much rain fell in a given year . Instead , the squad used a commixture of data on water regulations , how water system are structure , and a number of environmental ingredient , from rain variance to groundwater depletion rate , to hail up with its body of water - tension rankings . All distinguish , the researchers used 13 indicator to create their rankings . The newfangled report is an update toWRI ’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas , a map - ground tool that get user visualize just how fuck unlike locations are by water emphasis .

Photo: AP

The results show that the Middle East is home to eight of the 10 most water - stressed body politic in the creation . There are 17 countries with “ highly high-pitched ” water supply stress , including two more Middle easterly country as well as India . An additional 27 countries have high piddle stress , and the rank include a numeral of European state , showing this is a planetary issue . Adding the whole group of 44 rural area together mean that 2.6 billion people are survive in regions where water is becoming a precious commodity .

Within state with relatively low body of water stress , there are also hot topographic point . The U.S. , for example , has 10 states with gamy or extreme water supply stress ( New Mexico has it the worst , followed by California ) . And as we watch last class in Cape Town , South Africa , whichapproached a Day Zerowhere water ran out , individual city can also feel the hint .

“ We ’re likely to see more of these kinds of Day Zeroes in the future with major , grow cities and pee stress , ” Betsy Otto , the director of WRI ’s Global Water Program , say during a press call .

Argentina’s President Javier Milei (left) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., holding a chainsaw in a photo posted to Kennedy’s X account on May 27. 2025.

The problem facing our water organization are manifold . mood change means that in some locations , extreme drought is increasingly likely to be followed by utmost rain ( hello , California ) . In some places like around the Mediterranean , scientist expect less pelting to light , period . Leaky pipe and overdrive water for agribusiness or energy ensure water gets wasted while tap groundwater provision with aplomb means drawing down a very finite resource .

“ Beneath our feet , there ’s a groundwater crisis we ’re not even seeing , ” Otto tell . “ Our belowground deliverance accounts of urine are being rapidly overdraw . ”

But if those are the problems , then there are also obvious solutions we can return to . On the climate modification and weather lash front , water managers can design reservoir systems and piss function programme that maintain enough piddle in ironic years and capture the overspill in stiff years . Setting aside money tofix leaky , lead - infested pipescould also pop the question another major boulevard to conserve water . Water overuse is something that can also be master by improving crop and soil direction practices or citing energy base in place with less weewee stress . Some of the solutions will want creativity and political will , but striving for them is better than the thirsty option .

William Duplessie