UN warns of impending global water crisis due to unsustainable usage.
The United Nations has warned of an "imminent" global water crisis, with 26% of the world's population lacking access to safe drinking water and 46% lacking access to safely managed sanitation services. The UN World Water Development Report 2023 highlights the huge gap in water availability and usage across different regions, and the need to fill it to ensure all people have access to clean water by 2030. The report also warns that climate change will worsen water scarcity in regions where it is already in short supply. The estimated cost of meeting the goals is between $600 billion and $1 trillion a year.