Global threat in water shortage

NEW YORK: US Secretarygeneral Antonio Guterres has warned that global demand for fresh water is projected to grow by over 40% by 2050 and at least a quarter of the world’s population will live in countries with a ‘‘chronic or recurrent’’ lack of clean water.

He told the Security Council that ‘‘strains on water access are already rising in all regions,’’ noting threequarters of the 193 UN member states share rivers or lake basins with their neighbours.

‘‘Without effective management of our water resources, we risk intensified disputes between communities and sectors and increased tensions among nations.’’

The secretarygeneral said the UN is ready to engage in preventive diplomacy to keep the competition for water from sparking conflicts.

Bolivian President Evo Morales, whose country holds the council presidency, said since 1947, some 37 conflicts have taken place between countries over water.

‘‘Our planet, the human family and life in all its myriad forms on Earth are in the throes of a water crisis that will only get worse over the coming decades,’’ he said.

‘‘If current patterns of consumption continue unabated, twothirds of the world’s population will be facing water shortages as a daily reality by 2025,’’ Morales added.

Right now, he said, over 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water and over 2.5 billion don’t have basic sanitation.

—AP