Water could be scarce due to a physical shortage (physical water scarcity), or it could be, scarce because of institutional failures or the lack of adequate infrastructure to ensure a regular supply, even in places where water is abundant (economic water scarcity). Climate change and bio-energy demands are also expected to amplify the already complex relationship between world development and water demand. ©iMoved Studio/Shutterstock.com. ©Orest lyzhechka/Shutterstock.com, Coping with Water Scarcity in Agriculture: a Global Framework for Action in a Changing Climate, FAO in Rwanda - Solutions to Water Scarcity, Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia, Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa. As the population of the world grows and the environment becomes further affected by climate change, access to fresh drinking water dwindles. Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet the demands of water usage within a region. Water scarcity is expected to intensify as a result of climate change. It is one of the most important ingredients to achieve a #ZeroHunger world! More than a billion people currently live in water-scarce regions, and as many as 3.5 billion could Left: © PiyaPhong/Shutterstock.com; Right: © Kent Weakley/Shutterstock.com, It takes 70 litres to produce one apple! clean drinking water that is accessible to humans and animals of a given area Did you know, depending on the diet, we need 2 000 to 5 000 litres of water to produce the food consumed daily by one person? This is due to Peru’s coast, which is a desert, home to half the population of the country. Growing water scarcity is now one of the leading challenges for sustainable development. Challenges Water scarcity will be exacerbated as rapidly growing urban areas place heavy pressure on neighbouring water resources. Clean, reliable water supplies are vital for industry, agriculture, and energy production. More frequent and severe droughts are having an impact on agricultural production, while rising temperatures translate into increased crop water demand. Physical water scarcity refers to a situation where natural water resources are unable to meet a region’s demand while economic water scarcity is a result of poor water management resources. The misuse of water resources is another big issue leading to water scarcity. We need to change our habits and act now to protect this precious resource. It comes down to the fact that we simply can’t grow the food we need if we don’t have enough water! As water scarcity hits many developing regions of the world, there is now a renewed interest in understanding how growing threats to water security affect future progress in human development and economic growth of nations (Grey and Sadoff, 2005; Grey and Sadoff, 2007). Evidence suggests that two-thirds of the world population could be living in water-stressed countries by 2025 if current consumption patterns continue. Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. At the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. The issue of water scarcity is at the very core of sustainable development. In order to ensure the world has enough water to drink, provide farming, to generate power, and to sustain life, many different world-wide organizations have led campaigns to conserve water internationally. When we waste food, we are also wasting the resources that went into producing it. 5. These facts can be hard to grasp, especially since only 3% of the water in the world (which accounts for over 70% of the earth’s surface) is freshwater deemed fit for human consumption (Rinkesh, 2016).. Water scarcity involves water crisis, water shortage, water deficit or water stress.