UN report warns of worldwide ‘water chapter’ | EUROtoday

As of: January 20, 2026 10:07 p.m

Lakes, wetlands, glaciers: many water reserves are exhausted and irretrievably misplaced to people, warns a UN report. The United Nations urges us to behave decisively now.

It is now not sufficient to speak a few disaster, says Kaveh Madani. He is director of the UN Institute for Water, Environment and Health and lead writer of the brand new water report. The phrase “crisis” means that it’s a non permanent state of affairs from which one can get well. But his report exhibits a distinct actuality.

In many locations, water reserves would now not be returned in a time that’s related for folks. The report due to this fact speaks of “water bankruptcy”, an irreversible lack of freshwater reserves.

More than half of the world’s giant lakes have misplaced water because the early Nineties. About two-thirds of main aquifers are displaying long-term declines. Dozens of rivers now not stream to the ocean in sure months of the 12 months. And round a 3rd of the glacier mass has been misplaced because the Nineteen Seventies.

Agriculture requires plenty of water

70 p.c of the world’s recent water is taken for agriculture, explains Madani. This is resulting in an ever-increasing water drawback, particularly in Asia. Because the farmers there produce not just for their very own inhabitants, however above all for the worldwide north. Often the one approach for folks to make cash.

“Strategically, these countries need to diversify and industrialize their economies more so that they no longer rely so heavily on agriculture,” Madani stated. This will not occur in a single day, however there may be now the opportunity of it.

Even if the worldwide north doesn’t really feel affected by the water chapter – it’s a world drawback, emphasizes Madani. That’s why wealthy industrial nations have to assist the worldwide south. In addition to Asia, the Middle East and North Africa are additionally severely affected by the lack of freshwater. But additionally the southwest of the USA.

Global warming is exacerbating the issue

“The message of the UN report is not despair, but clarity,” says Madani. The sooner you face this, the extra choices stay. Around 4 billion folks already undergo from extreme water shortages for a minimum of one month of the 12 months. Three billion reside in areas the place water provides are declining.

The report cites groundwater air pollution, deterioration in soil fertility and the clearing of forests as different causes for water chapter. Global warming is exacerbating the issue.