World Water Day 2024 plans to highlight the issues of providing enough water to the world as temperatures rise and the population expands.
With the world population predicted to exceed 11 billion by the end of this century, water supplies will become increasingly scarce. Access to clean water is a human right, yet without it, we risk experiencing more global crises, conflicts, and pandemics. Climate change is frequently linked to water, resulting in more severe droughts, increased flooding, melting glaciers, and increasing sea levels.
Some temperate regions are experiencing hotter and drier summers, placing more water supplies under strain. Hotter places face a double whammy of more severe droughts and an increased likelihood of intense rainfall, which can lead to flooding. Communities in Pakistan and Burkina Faso experience unpredictable swings that destroy homes and crops.
Approximately half of the world's population faces acute water scarcity for at least part of the year, and nearly 650 million people struggle to access safe drinking water. Bangladesh is one of the worst-affected countries, with 3.8 million people without access to clean water. These populations can benefit from measures such as access to water infrastructure, rainwater collection plants, and weatherproof toilets.
Governments should spend more on climate-resilient, locally-led projects that assist communities in adapting to the new circumstances caused by climate change.
Water wars have been a source of contention for ages, with the oldest known battle involving ancient Sumer city-states in Iraq. Around 60% of the water flowing through rivers is shared by at least two countries, and the Nile River basin is shared by eleven countries. Water disputes within states are also common, with recent examples including gunfights in Pakistan over irrigation water and violent skirmishes between clans in Kenya.
Water frequently becomes embroiled in larger wars, such as Ukraine, where water infrastructure has been severely destroyed as a result of the Russian invasion, and the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians and Israeli settlers have frequently clashed over water. Climate change, which exacerbates water scarcity, may cause additional instability, grievances, and political upheaval, but not large-scale interstate violence.
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