According to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), echoed by the UN Secretary-General´s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, those affected by ‘water stress’ will rise considerably in the coming years amid population growth and dwindling availability.

In 2018, some 3.6 billion people globally had inadequate access to water for one month per year, which is expected to surpass five billion by 2050.

For this reason, the WMO called for urgent measures in order to face this alarming situation at global level.

Some phenomena such as the melting of glaciers and the rise in sea levels will continue for centuries due to high levels of carbon dioxide.

The report calls for improving water management, integrating water and climate policies, and scaling up investment as current measures are fragmented and inadequate.

Recommendations include investing in integrated resources water management to better manage water stress, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

pgh/Pll/jha / ifb