Where the world’s water is running out… and why

New data shows that by 2050, a billion more people will live in ‘high water stress’ regions. Veronica Penney and John Muyskens say there’s lots that can be done, but we need to act now

Sprinklers water a lettuce field in Holtville, California, beneath a blazing desert sun. Experts say we are making ‘ridiculous decisions’ on where we grow crops (AFP/Getty)

A growing population and rising temperatures will strain the world’s freshwater supplies over the next 30 years, jeopardising available water for drinking, bathing and growing food, according to new research.

An analysis of newly released data from the World Resources Institute (WRI) shows that by 2050 an additional billion people will be living in arid areas and regions with high water stress, where at least 40 per cent of the renewable water supply is consumed each year.

Two-fifths of the world’s population (3.3 billion people in total) currently live in such areas. Water stress is a measure of how much demand there is for an area’s available water supply. A higher score means more people are competing for water.