Assessments of water resources and their management

3. How evolve water scarcity over time?

More than 90% of water in water-scarce regions goes today to irrigated agriculture, but this phenomenon has a long history. Water withdrawal can also be very high for certain industries, but consumption is generally much lower than that of agriculture. The major industrial users include hydroelecric dams, thermoelectric power plants, which use water fo cooling, ore and oil refineries, use water in chemical processes and manufacturing plants, which use water as a solvent and in natural gas extraction from shale rock.

The World Economic Forum listed droughts, lack of rainfall, or pollution as a cause of water scarcity and one of the largest global risks in terms of potential impact over the next decade⁸. With a global population still growing fast, estimates show that with current practices, the world will face a 40% shortfall between forecast demand and available supply of water by 2030. Water scarcity and drought are playing in aggravating fragility and increasing the risks of conflicts and water-related disasters also account for 70% of all deaths related to natural disasters.

Many pollutants also threaten water supplies, but the most widespread, especially in developing countries, is the discharge of raw sewage into natural waters; this method of sewage disposal is the most common method in underdeveloped countries, but also is prevalent in quasi-developed countries such as China, India, Nepal and Iran.

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