The inhabitants of 17 countries around the world are subject to extremely high water stress. We are facing a genuine global crisis, according to the World Resources Institute.
A quarter of the world's population lives in conditions of extreme water stress. That is, in places where water is scarce and conflicts arise over securing it.
This was revealed by the World Resources Institute (WRI), which compiled a ranking of 164 nations based on their availability of water resources. Seventeen countries are most at risk of running dry, 12 of which are located in the Middle East or North Africa: at the top of the list are Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran and Jordan; in 13th place is India, which made headlines this year for being struck by the worst heatwave in its history, to the point that cities such as Chennai were left without water.
In these places — where agriculture, industry and cities consume 80 per cent of surface and groundwater annually — the arrival of the so-called day zero, the day when authorities are forced to turn off the taps, is a concrete threat.
"We are currently facing a global crisis," commented Betsy Otto, director of the WRI's water resources management programme. "A growing population and a growing economy demand ever more water. But the supply is threatened by climate change, waste and pollution." Heatwaves are, and will increasingly be, more frequent; July 2019 was the hottest month on record. On the subject of waste: Italy, which sits in 44th place in the band of countries with high water stress, loses 41.4 per cent of the water fed into its water network every year due to leaks.
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Even within nations where the situation is not so severe, there are sometimes regions that represent the exception. The United States, for example, sits in 71st place in the ranking, yet New Mexico is frequently forced to contend with periods of drought. These can in turn cause food shortages. Currently in Zimbabwe, ranked 72nd, more than two million people are suffering from hunger as a result of the drought that has damaged crops, and lack access to drinking water. Water stress is also often caused by water grabbing, a phenomenon that occurs when powerful actors take control of or divert precious water resources for their own benefit, depriving local communities or entire nations of them. This gives rise to wars, migration and financial instability.
"The map we have drawn allows us to observe and better understand the risks we are running, so that we can manage them," declared Andrew Steer, president of the WRI. "A new generation of solutions is emerging, but too slowly. If we fail, the price to be paid in human lives will be extremely high."
Indeed, several strategies exist that can be deployed swiftly: first and foremost, improving efficiency in the agricultural sector. As the forum's members recommend, "farmers can use seeds that require less water and improve irrigation techniques," intervening only when and where necessary. The contribution of consumers is also important from this perspective — they are called upon to reduce their own food waste as well as to modify, where possible, their dietary habits. We should not forget, after all, that producing a single hamburger requires 2,400 litres of water.
Another tactic is to invest in infrastructure, especially natural infrastructure such as "walls" of trees and mangrove "embankments." It is equally essential to care for the landscape, by restoring wetlands and carrying out reforestation works. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Ipcc) also noted, in the special report published on 8 August, that "sustainable land management can help address climate change."
Finally, we must not forget to recycle resources: "We need to stop thinking of wastewater as a waste product," the experts conclude. Once treated, it can be reused — for irrigating fields, for example; it also contains biosolids that can be used as fertilisers. Once again, the circular economy proves to be the best choice — indeed, the only one — that can save us. In other words, returning to the past is the key to our future.