Water Demand To Soon Exceed Supply in Many Areas

Analysts with Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research have released a report that predicts global demand for fresh water will soon outstrip supply, according to an article on CBS MoneyWatch.

Stylised water supply system

"Water scarcity is a pressing people and planet issue," the report stated.  This is hardly new to many working in the sector, or those in aid / development areas.

According to the article, 768 million people around the world have no access to clean drinking water and 2.5 billion are without proper sanitation, noted the article, while about 2.5 percent of all water on earth is fresh water.

Addressing these issues is a priority for the Water and Sanitation Program [ see more at www.wsp.org] and many simple measures can be effective, especially on the sanitation side.  But fresh water supply is more difficult, with wasteful water use a big issue itself, especially in developed countries.

The report states that humans have already reached "peak water," at or approaching the limit of renewable freshwater supply, the article reported, and half of the world's population will face "water stress" conditions by 2030.

According to the article, as many as 50 nations can be expected to be involved in conflicts over water by 2050.

You can read the full article here.