Water Scarcity

Water scarcity, insufficient freshwater resources to meet the human and environmental demands of a given area. Water scarcity is inextricably linked to human rights, and sufficient access to safe drinking water is a priority for global development. There are two general types of water scarcity: physical and economic. Physical, or absolute, water scarcity is the result of a region’s demand outpacing the limited water resources found there. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, around 1.2 billion people live in areas of physical scarcity; many of these people live in arid or semi-arid regions. Physical water scarcity can be seasonal; an estimated two-thirds of the world’s population lives in areas subject to seasonal water scarcity at least one month of the year. The number of people affected by physical water scarcity is expected to grow as populations increase and as weather patterns become more unpredictable and extreme.