Water, water everywhere

摘要

Today's focus on the credit crisis and rising prices for food and oil has temporarily put another global scarcityrnin the shade: water. The UN predicts that by 2025, two-thirds of us will experience water shortages, with severe lack of water blighting the lives and livelihoods of 1.8 billion. According to the UN World Water Assessment Programme, by 2050,7 billion people in 60 countries may have to cope with water scarcity. At this year's World Economic Forum, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon recommended that water scarcity should be at the top of the international agenda. "As the global economy grows, so will its thirst," he said, warning of a future marred by conflicts over water.rnThere is no doubt that we need to rethink how we use water, especially with the human population growing rapidly, and global warming likely to produce unpredictable patterns of rainfall and drought. Nevertheless, my own research suggests that the situation may not be as dire as many are suggesting. Nations can thrive on surprisingly meagre quantities of fresh water - provided they adopt water-efficient technologies and encourage economic activity that doesn't guzzle water. I believe the looming water crisis is primarily a problem of distribution and management rather than supply. And we can solve it with existing technologies, increased investment and political will.