Water scarcity
Facts and Figures

## 72% of all water withdrawals are used by agriculture, 16% by municipalities for households and services, and 12% by industries. (UN-Water 2021)
## When a territory withdraws 25% or more of its renewable freshwater resources it is said to be ‘water-stressed’. Five out of 11 regions have water stress values above 25%, including two regions with high water stress and one with extreme water stress. (UN-Water 2021)
## 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries, of which 733 million live in high and critically water-stressed countries. (UN-Water 2021)
## 3.2 billion people live in agricultural areas with high to very high water shortages or scarcity, of whom 1.2 billion people – roughly one-sixth of the world’s population – live in severely water-constrained agricultural areas. (FAO, 2020)
## Today, 1.42 billion people – including 450 million children – live in areas of high or extremely high water vulnerability. (UNICEF, 2021)
## About 4 billion people, representing nearly two-thirds of the global population, experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year (Mekonnen and Hoekstra, 2016)
## 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030. (Global Water Institute, 2013)
## Nearly half the global population are already living in potential water scarce areas at least one month per year and this could increase to some 4.8–5.7 billion in 2050. About 73% of the affected people live in Asia (69% by 2050). (Burek et al., 2016)


Water scarcity can mean scarcity in availability due to physical shortage, or scarcity in access due to the failure of institutions to ensure a regular supply or due to a lack of adequate infrastructure.

Water scarcity already affects every continent. Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions.

Challenges
Water scarcity will be exacerbated as rapidly growing urban areas place heavy pressure on neighbouring water resources. Climate change and bio-energy demands are also expected to amplify the already complex relationship between world development and water demand.

Opportunities
There is not a global water shortage as such, but individual countries and regions need to urgently tackle the critical problems presented by water stress. Water has to be treated as a scarce resource, with a far stronger focus on managing demand. Integrated water resources management provides a broad framework for governments to align water use patterns with the needs and demands of different users, including the environment.

Find out more from:
FAO: Aquastat
FAO (2020): The State of Food and Agriculture 2020
FAO (2016): Coping with water scarcity in agriculture: a global framework for action in a changing climate
FAO (2008): Coping with water scarcity: An action framework for agriculture and food security
UN (2006): UN World Water Development Report 2006: ‘Water: a shared responsibility’
UNDP (2006): Human Development Report 2006: ‘Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis’
UNICEF (2021): Water Security for All
UNICEF (2017): Thirsting for a Future: Water and children in a changing climate
UN-Water Activity Information System: National Drought Management Policies Initiative
UN-Water (2021): Summary Progress Update 2021: SDG 6 — water and sanitation for all
UN 2018: SDG 6 Synthesis Report
World Resources Institute: Blog: What we know about water scarcity