Report: Water Crisis Threatening World Food Production

Facts

• According to a report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, the global water crisis will threaten more than half of the world's food production by 2050.^[1][2]
• The OECD-backed report published on Thursday also found that water shortages may cut high-income nations' gross domestic product (GDP) by 8%.^[3][4]
• Additionally, the report suggested that the effects of changing rainfall patterns, temperature rise, and a lack of access to clean water may result in a 15% drop in GDP on average for low-income nations.^[5]
• The report also claims that, for the first time, climate change, land use change, and water mismanagement have pushed the global hydrological cycle off balance.^[6][1]
• It found that over 2B people lack access to safe drinking water, 1K children die each day from lack of access to safe water, and predicted that the demand for freshwater will likely surpass its supply by 40% by 2030.^[7][8]
• This comes a day after the World Resources Institute said that a third of the world's 8B-strong population's staple grains — maize, rice, and wheat — are currently grown in water-stressed regions.^[2][9]

Sources: ^[1]CNN, ^[2]New York Times, ^[3]Japantimes, ^[4]Reuters, ^[5]www.ndtv.com, ^[6]Courthousenews, ^[7]Guardian, ^[8]Al Jazeera and ^[9]World Resources Institute.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Council on Foreign Relations. Clean water, essential for life, is already beyond reach for billions of people worldwide. The situation is worsening, as climate change and population growth strain already limited resources. For every 1.8°F rise in global temperature, we lose 20% of our renewable water resources. This problem transcends borders, sometimes sparking international tensions, yet global coordination to address this crisis remains inadequate.
• Narrative B, as provided by UNEP. We can protect and restore natural water sources like wetlands and forests while dramatically improving agricultural water efficiency through drip irrigation. Cities must fix leaky infrastructure that wastes trillions of gallons yearly with creative solutions like water recycling and rainwater harvesting. Most importantly, we need integrated approaches that recognize water's connection to climate, food, and energy.

Predictions