Several African nations struggle with erratic rainfall and poor infrastructure. But the Middle East dominates the world water crisis due to its arid climate, lack of renewable freshwater sources and reliance on desalination. Here are the top 7 countries with the highest water scarcity 

Global water crisis: Top 7 countries with the highest water scarcity

As Europe fears another year of drought and heat waves, French president Emmanuel Macron unveils a water crisis plan to save the country from ongoing water crisis.

Macron announces water saving plan amid climate change toll

Its a race against time to save fresh water. to address the issue of water crisis worldwide, UN hosted the first major conference on water in over 45 years.

UN Water Conference 2023: UN seeks solution to global water crisis | WION Climate Tracker

Humanity's 'vampiric' overconsumption of its 'lifeblood' — water — is increasingly putting the resource at risk, warns&nbsp;the United Nations (UN) in a report published on Wednesday. The report was released just hours ahead of a major summit dealing with the issue. As per the report, about 10 per cent of the "world's population lives in a country where water stress has reached a high or critical level."

The report, which was published by UN-Water and UNESCO, warns that "scarcity is becoming endemic" due to overconsumption and pollution. It adds that global warming will further increase seasonal water shortages in areas with abundant water as well as those already strained.

Watch |&nbsp;Global fresh water resources won't keep up with demand by 2030

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/global-fresh-water-resources-wont-keep-up-with-demand-by-2030-574259/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In the report's foreword, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as per AFP, writes that the world is "blindly travelling a dangerous path" as "unsustainable water use, pollution and unchecked global warming are draining humanity's lifeblood."

"If nothing is done, it will be a business-as-usual scenario — it will keep on being between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the population of the world that does not have access to sanitation and roughly 20-25 per cent of the world will not have access to safe water supply," said Richard Connor, lead author of the report while talking to AFP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/reusable-water-bottles-carry-40000-times-more-bacteria-than-a-toilet-seat-shows-study-571769">Reusable water bottles carry 40,000 TIMES more bacteria than a toilet seat, shows study</a>

He added that as the global population increases, "in absolute numbers, there'll be more and more people that don't have access to these services."

The UN 2023 Water Conference will host 6,500 guests from around the world, including a hundred ministers and a dozen heads of state and government. The conference will take place from Wednesday (March 22) to Friday (March 24) in New York.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/science/water-on-earth-may-be-older-than-the-sun-itself-study-570403" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/science/water-on-earth-may-be-older-than-the-sun-itself-study-570403&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjG77O2pO79AhX4S2wGHbxcAQM4PBAWegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1lgfu8brQ7i4GMc7p4Tk8i" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/water-on-earth-may-be-older-than-the-sun-itself-study-570403" target="_blank">Water&nbsp;on Earth may be older than the Sun itself: Study&nbsp;</a>

It invites governments and actors in the public and private sectors to present proposals for a 'water action agenda' that seeks to reverse the trend and help meet the development goal of ensuring "access to water and sanitation for all by 2030."

The UN 2023 Water Conference is the first summit on water in 50 years. Before this, the last high-level conference was held in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Humanity's 'vampiric' overconsumption of its 'lifeblood' — water — is increasingly putting the resource at risk, warns the United Nations (UN) in a report published on Wednesday.

Humanity's 'vampiric' overconsumption of its 'lifeblood' — water — is increasingly putting the resource at risk, warns the United Nations (UN) in a report published on Wednesday. The report was released just hours ahead of a major summit dealing with the issue. As per the report, about 10 per cent of the "world's population lives in a country where water stress has reached a high or critical level." The report, which was published by UN-Water and UNESCO, warns that "scarcity is becoming endemic" due to overconsumption and pollution. It adds that global warming will further increase seasonal water shortages in areas with abundant water as well as those already strained. Watch | Global fresh water resources won't keep up with demand by 2030 In the report's foreword, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as per AFP, writes that the world is "blindly travelling a dangerous path" as "unsustainable water use, pollution and unchecked global warming are draining humanity's lifeblood." "If nothing is done, it will be a business-as-usual scenario — it will keep on being between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the population of the world that does not have access to sanitation and roughly 20-25 per cent of the world will not have access to safe water supply," said Richard Connor, lead author of the report while talking to AFP. Also read | Reusable water bottles carry 40,000 TIMES more bacteria than a toilet seat, shows study He added that as the global population increases, "in absolute numbers, there'll be more and more people that don't have access to these services." The UN 2023 Water Conference will host 6,500 guests from around the world, including a hundred ministers and a dozen heads of state and government. The conference will take place from Wednesday (March 22) to Friday (March 24) in New York. Also read | Water on Earth may be older than the Sun itself: Study It invites governments and actors in the public and private sectors to present proposals for a 'water action agenda' that seeks to reverse the trend and help meet the development goal of ensuring "access to water and sanitation for all by 2030." The UN 2023 Water Conference is the first summit on water in 50 years. Before this, the last high-level conference was held in 1977 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Report sounds alarm over humanity's 'vampiric' overconsumption of its 'lifeblood' water

Acute water crisis is a growing threat to human existence on earth, with demand expected to outstrip the supply of fresh water by 40% by the end of this decade.

Global fresh water resources won't keep up with demand by 2030

The U.S. state of California continues to deal with damage from the march storm. The state has been hit by a series of atmospheric rivers causing several fatalities and very significant damages. But in the southern part of the state the situation is altogether different.

U.S: California farmers defend their river rights

Water is an extremely valuable natural resource that is essential to life on earth. In spite of the fact that nearly 70 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only 2.5 per cent of it is fresh.&nbsp;

As a result of unsustainable population growth, freshwater is in short supply on the planet.

There are currently over 7 billion people on earth, and still, about one-third of the world's population lacks access to clean drinking water, what will happen when that number reaches 9 billion by 2050?

Freshwater demand will grow exponentially as society grows, and if precautions are not taken today to conserve water, its scarcity will without a doubt become one of the biggest threats in the future.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-education-and-empowerment-are-significant-to-population-stabilisation-422922">Why education and empowerment are significant to population stabilisation?</a>

Quite predictably, due to the human population's water requirements, our existing water resources are depleting.

United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) seeks to provide water and sanitation for all by 2030, however, the latest UN-Water 2021 report is alarming.

According to the report, 1.6 billion people face 'economic' water scarcity, which means that although water is physically available, it is inaccessible due to a lack of infrastructure.&nbsp;

Additionally, the report states that freshwater use has increased by a factor of six over the past 100 years and continues to grow at a rate of about 1 per cent per year since the 1980s.

Human activities that adversely affect water resources:

Globally, agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of freshwater withdrawals. It is also a major source of water pollution, since agrochemicals, drug residues, and organic matter are disposed of/drained into nearby bodies of water.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pressure-on-global-energy-crisis-deepens-with-population-growth-422913" hreflang="en">Pressure on global energy crisis deepens with population growth</a>

As the world's population grows, declining water quality has become a global issue. Besides agriculture, many factors contribute to water pollution, but the most significant is sewage and industrial waste discharged into rivers.

Additionally, concerns over the impact of personal care and pharmaceutical products on water quality are also emerging.

Drought - The next pandemic

Recently, the United Nations warned that drought is a hidden global crisis that could become the next pandemic. Droughts are often caused by human activities like large-scale deforestation, soil degradation, over-pumping, and unsustainable water use.

Some estimates say that up to 20 per cent of the world's groundwater wells may dry up, leaving billions without freshwater.&nbsp;

The water crisis in India

India has almost 16 per cent of the world's population, but only 4 per cent of the world's freshwater resources. Of that, fewer than half have access to safe drinking water.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/overpopulation-and-human-greed-the-two-enemies-of-biodiversity-388506" hreflang="en">Overpopulation and human greed, the two enemies of biodiversity</a>

Experts estimate that nearly 70 per cent of the country's water resources are contaminated and many major rivers are heavily polluted. Besides polluted rivers, India is also the world's largest consumer of groundwater; the depletion of this resource may lead to a reduction in farm output of up to 20 per cent by 2025.

Water recycling and reuse have been identified as the most practical solution to India's water crisis. Utilising water-saving techniques can go a long way toward helping the country prevent water shortages in the future.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Billions are at risk of water scarcity, says UN

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/billions-are-at-risk-of-water-scarcity-says-un-418776/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The global water crisis can be alleviated in a number of ways, including reducing corporate water consumption, addressing increasing water pollution, battling climate change, developing new technologies for treating water resources, and stabilising the human population.

The world must awaken before it is too late. The need to adopt sustainable practices and stabilise the human population cannot be understated. These measures are vital to preserving our water resources and maintaining access to freshwater for generations to come.&nbsp;

Water is an extremely valuable natural resource that is essential to life on earth. In spite of the fact that nearly 70 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only 2.

Water is an extremely valuable natural resource that is essential to life on earth. In spite of the fact that nearly 70 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only 2.5 per cent of it is fresh. As a result of unsustainable population growth, freshwater is in short supply on the planet. There are currently over 7 billion people on earth, and still, about one-third of the world's population lacks access to clean drinking water, what will happen when that number reaches 9 billion by 2050? Freshwater demand will grow exponentially as society grows, and if precautions are not taken today to conserve water, its scarcity will without a doubt become one of the biggest threats in the future. Also read | Why education and empowerment are significant to population stabilisation? Quite predictably, due to the human population's water requirements, our existing water resources are depleting. United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) seeks to provide water and sanitation for all by 2030, however, the latest UN-Water 2021 report is alarming. According to the report, 1.6 billion people face 'economic' water scarcity, which means that although water is physically available, it is inaccessible due to a lack of infrastructure. Additionally, the report states that freshwater use has increased by a factor of six over the past 100 years and continues to grow at a rate of about 1 per cent per year since the 1980s. Human activities that adversely affect water resources: Globally, agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of freshwater withdrawals. It is also a major source of water pollution, since agrochemicals, drug residues, and organic matter are disposed of/drained into nearby bodies of water. Also read | Pressure on global energy crisis deepens with population growth As the world's population grows, declining water quality has become a global issue. Besides agriculture, many factors contribute to water pollution, but the most significant is sewage and industrial waste discharged into rivers. Additionally, concerns over the impact of personal care and pharmaceutical products on water quality are also emerging. Drought - The next pandemic Recently, the United Nations warned that drought is a hidden global crisis that could become the next pandemic. Droughts are often caused by human activities like large-scale deforestation, soil degradation, over-pumping, and unsustainable water use. Some estimates say that up to 20 per cent of the world's groundwater wells may dry up, leaving billions without freshwater. The water crisis in India India has almost 16 per cent of the world's population, but only 4 per cent of the world's freshwater resources. Of that, fewer than half have access to safe drinking water. Also read | Overpopulation and human greed, the two enemies of biodiversity Experts estimate that nearly 70 per cent of the country's water resources are contaminated and many major rivers are heavily polluted. Besides polluted rivers, India is also the world's largest consumer of groundwater; the depletion of this resource may lead to a reduction in farm output of up to 20 per cent by 2025. Water recycling and reuse have been identified as the most practical solution to India's water crisis. Utilising water-saving techniques can go a long way toward helping the country prevent water shortages in the future. Watch | Billions are at risk of water scarcity, says UN The global water crisis can be alleviated in a number of ways, including reducing corporate water consumption, addressing increasing water pollution, battling climate change, developing new technologies for treating water resources, and stabilising the human population. The world must awaken before it is too late. The need to adopt sustainable practices and stabilise the human population cannot be understated. These measures are vital to preserving our water resources and maintaining access to freshwater for generations to come.

'Water is life': Global water crisis threatens life on planet