Monday | 13 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Monday | 13 January 2025 | Epaper

Water scarce worldwide

Published : Wednesday, 30 October, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 695
Amir Mohammed Khosru
The world is facing a water crisis far worse than most of us anticipate. A recent report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water has published some shocking facts stating that within the next 25 years, more than half of the world's food production could be at risk because of water shortages. The report states that by 2030 just six years from now global demand for water will exceed supply by forty percent. It is hard to grasp the meaning by the common people like us. But the message is clear: if we don't take necessary steps like conserving ecosystem that holds fresh water and act fast, life as we know it would change dramatically. 

We can see how much water we consume in our daily life. When we think about water consumption, we often picture the glass we drink or the shower we take, but that's only a tiny part of the story. Every day, we consume huge amount of water without even knowing it. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the products we use all require vast amounts of water to produce. When put on a pair of jeans, for example, we don't know that this pair of jeans was produced consuming about 7,600 liters of water. Like that we need huge amount of water for cultivation.

And while some parts of the world can manage their own water needs, most can't. Countries depend on water from distant regions, traded indirectly through goods. This global water network is complex, and when one part of the system falters, the effects can ripple out worldwide.

When we talk about water, the subject of climate change comes. Water and climate change are intertwined. Global temperature is rising, as a result we are seeing extreme weather events i.e longer drought, heavier floods, and devastating wildfires. All of these are connected to water or lack of it. Warmer air holds more moisture which disrupts the natural water cycle. Water is soaked from the air like a sponge soaks water from puddle and that is happening in our atmosphere. 

Every 1°C increase in global in temperature adds 7% more moisture to atmosphere. That powers up storms, makes dry area drier. The consequences are noticed: catastrophic droughts in Africa and the Amazon, deadly floods in Asia and Europe and the historic wildfires in North America. These events are not just natural disasters rather they are warnings of what's to come ahead. Not just the climate change, destruction of forests, wetlands and other ecosystems is making things worse. These natural spaces play a crucial role in the hydrological cycle, storing and releasing water in ways that keep the system balanced. When we cut down forests or drain wetlands, we're essentially pulling the plug on nature's water management system.

Industries are major culprits for wastewater. Around 80% of the wastewater produced by factories is dumped back into the environment without being treated or recycled, further polluting already scarce water supplies.What's worse is that while some people waste water, others are forced to pay a high price for it. In many poor countries, families spend a large chunk of their income on water, or they rely on unsafe sources. Meanwhile, wealthier individuals and industries often get it cheap or even subsidized. This imbalance highlights a deep injustice: water, which should be a basic human right, is increasingly becoming a luxury for those who can afford it.

The water crisis is not just a local problem-it's a global one. And like most global problems, it will require global cooperation to solve. Water is a shared resource. The rain that falls in one country often helps sustain agriculture in another. But so far, there has been little international coordination to manage water resources. The United Nations has only held one water conference in the past 50 years and only last month appointed a special envoy for water. This is shocking in respect of the magnitude of the crisis we're facing.We need to start treating water as a global common good with a global water pact by governments to ensure they protect water resources and create a "Circular Economy" for water. 

While water shortages threaten economies and ecosystems, they also have an outsized personal impact specially on women and girls in developing countries. In many regions, women bear the responsibility of collecting water for their families. They walk miles every day to find safe sources. This not only limits their opportunities for education and work but also puts them at risk of violence.Mariana Mazzucato, professor of economics at University College London, and a co-chair of the commissionsays most of the rapes and abuse of women actually happen when they're going to fetch water," and "child mortality, gender parity, the water collection burden, the food security burden - they're all connected".

The clock is ticking; fatal catastrophe is looming and reminding us to take action personally and globally. If we don't take action now, the consequences will be dire. By 2050, water shortages could shrink the global economy by 8% where the poor countries will be hit the hardest. The world has options for choosing either to continue down the current path of water mismanagement or to change course and protect one of the planet's most vital resources.The solutions are within reach, but they require political will and international cooperation. It's life itself, and without it, everything from food security to social stability is at risk.

The writer is a banker


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