Lagatar24 Desk
Geneva, Oct.6: The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), an agency of the United Nations (UN) through a report, warns that by 2050, more than five billion people worldwide may face water scarcity.
Climate change, according to the WMO, increases the global risk of water-related hazards such as floods and droughts, and the number of people affected by water scarcity is predicted to rise.
#ClimateChange threatens us all and often plays out through water:
Extreme rainfall, floods, drought, glacier and ice melt etc
We need better water management, monitoring, early warnings and investment.
We are not doing enough to avert the looming crisis.https://t.co/YhOPw5hF8c pic.twitter.com/x6qXdL2UL4— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) October 5, 2021
The report titled ‘The State of Climate Services 2021: Water’ said, “According to figures cited in the report, 3.6 billion people had inadequate access to water at least one month per year in 2018. By 2050, this is expected to rise to more than five billion.”
It also emphasised the importance of taking immediate action to improve cooperative water management, embrace integrated water and climate policies, and increase investment in this valuable resource, which underpins all international goals for sustainable development, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.
World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas in this regard said, “Increasing temperatures are resulting in global and regional precipitation changes, leading to shifts in rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, with a major impact on food security and human health and well-being.”
Terrestrial water storage, which includes all water on the land surface and in the subsurface, as well as soil moisture, snow, and ice, has decreased at a pace of 1cm per year during the last 20 years.
According to the report, the most significant water losses are occurring in Antarctica and Greenland, but many densely populated lower latitude locales are suffering considerable water losses in areas that have traditionally provided water supply, posing serious water security concerns.
The fact that only 0.5 percent of the water on Earth is usable and available freshwater aggravates the situation.
Water-related disasters have become more common in the last 20 years. Flood-related disasters have increased by 134% since 2000, compared to the prior two decades. The majority of flood-related deaths and economic losses occurred in Asia, where riverine flood warning systems must be strengthened from end to end.
Droughts increased by 29% in number and length over the same time period. The majority of drought-related deaths happened in Africa, emphasising the need for better end-to-end drought warning systems in that region, according to the report.
