UN warns of uncertainty, risk around water resources

The availability of fresh water around the globe is facing increasing pressure from soaring water demand and climate change, the latest edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report warned on Monday.

The United Nations warns that the availability of fresh water around the globe is facing increasing pressure from soaring water demand and climate change. [File photo]

The report, titled "Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk," was officially unveiled at the Sixth World Water Forum kicking off Monday in Marseille, southern France.

"Pressures on freshwater are rising - from the expanding needs of agriculture, food production and energy consumption to pollution and the weaknesses of water management. Climate change is a real and growing threat," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in Forward of the triennial report.

Global agricultural water consumption is expected to increase by at least 19 percent by 2050, according to the UN flagship report on water produced by the UN World Water Assessment Program (WWAP), a program hosted by UNESCO.

The world's energy consumption is expected to increase by about 50 percent between now and 2035, thus adding to the pressure on water, which is needed in the production process of all sources of energy and electricity, the report said.

The report highlighted the impact of urban population growth on water consumption, as the human demand for water mainly comes from urban communities requiring water for drinking, sanitation and drainage.

The urban population of the world is forecast to grow to 6.3 billion people in 2050 from 3.4 billion in 2009, it said.

Meanwhile, the report pointed out the variability and uncertainty of water supplies, due to the non-renewable nature of groundwater resources and poor water quality which affects the availability of the resource.

Global climate change is expected to exacerbate stresses on water resources and increase the frequency and severity of droughts and floods, the report noted.

According to the report, for water-related sectors, the cost of adapting to the impact of a 2-degree-Celsius rise in global average temperature could reach 13.7 billion to 19.2 billion U.S. dollars per year between 2020 and 2050.

"Last year, the United Nations recognized the access to water and sanitation as a basic human right. This right must now become a reality," Director-General of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Irina Bokova said when launching the report, which she described as "our roadmap to move forward."

In light of the increasing uncertainties and risks, a coordinated approach in managing and allocating water across competing sectors is needed to meet multiple goals and ensure that progress made in one sector is not offset by declines in others, said WWAP Coordinator Olcay Unver.