United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has warned that by 2050 global demand for fresh water is projected to grow by more than 40 per cent. He said at least a quarter of the world’s population will live in countries with a 'chronic or recurrent' lack of clean water.
“Water, peace and security are inextricably linked,” Guterres said. “Without effective management of our water resources, we risk intensified disputes between communities and sectors and increased tensions among nations.”
Since 1947, some 37 conflicts have taken place between countries related to water. Right now more than 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water and more than 2.5 billion don’t have basic sanitation.
The United Nations has a goal that by 2030 there would be improved water security, access to drinking water and sanitation, as well as stronger management of water resources shared by countries.
The world is currently not on track to meet that goal.