How Bad is Water Issues by 2050?

1. Widespread Water Scarcity

~5 billion people facing ≥1 month of water shortage/year

51 of 164 countries with high to extremely high water stress (31% global population)

2. Urban Water Crisis

Urban population affected: 1.7–2.4 billion

India: 550 million urban residents facing water scarcity

3. Droughts & Climate

75% of global population exposed to droughts

Glacier retreat threatening water for ~2 billion people

Decline in river flows globally

4. Agriculture & Food

Global water demand +20–25%, agriculture = 72% of freshwater use

50% of global food production at risk

Sub-Saharan Africa water demand +163%

5. Economic Impact

Up to 8% global GDP loss, 15% in low-income countries

Industrial disruptions due to limited water availability

6. Pollution & Clean Water

Additional ~3 billion people facing clean water scarcity due to pollution

7. Regional Hotspots

Middle East & North Africa: 100% extremely high water stress

South Asia: major urban scarcity (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh)

Sub-Saharan Africa: fastest growth in demand