Water crisis: Global water taps are running dry

The new IPCC report, entit­led «Climate change 2022: impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability», exposes the scale of the looming water crisis and the considerable challenges to be met in terms of resource management, par­ticularly in Morocco. The availability of water from melting snow (a crucial source for irrigation in some parts of the world) is set to decline, while the predicted mass loss of glaciers glo­bally will reduce the amount of water available for agriculture, hydroelec­tricity, and human settlements in the medium to long term.

Changes in the magnitude and perio­dicity of river flow, as well as the associated extreme events, are expec­ted to negatively impact freshwater ecosystems in many watersheds. The severity of direct flood damage will increase with every fraction of a de­gree of temperature increase.

According to the IPCC report, the bulk of official climate change adap­tation policies concern water-re­lated risks and impacts. However, the report warns of the potentially damaging effects of poorly managed adaptation measures. Under these conditions, an irrigation project may reduce the risk of drought, but at the same time contribute to accelerating the depletion of groundwater and of other water sources and to increased soil salinization.

The worst is yet to come, accor­ding to the IPCC. Even by limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Cel­sius (compared to the pre-industrial era), «the world is exposed to multiple inevitable climatic hazards in the next two decades», underlined the scien­tists. These extreme weather events occur simultaneously, resulting in cascading impacts that are increa­singly difficult to manage, resulting in more shortages, poverty, famines, or conflicts. With the progression of global warming, its effects are now widespread and often irreversible, warn the researchers.

Some indicators

• 2 billion people do not have access to drinking water services

• 3.6 billion people do not have access to safely managed sanitation services.

• 52% of the world’s population will live under water-stressed conditions by 2050

• 20% of the world’s land surface will be affected by a reduction of more than 10% of renewable groundwater in the event of a rise of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

• 1,000 children die every day from diarrheal diseases, unsafe water, and lack of sanitation.

• 90% of natural disasters are water-related (UN-Water 2012)

Fatim-Zahra TOHRY