Global Water Cycle Off Balance For The First Time In Human History

 

A report published by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water says that decades of destructive land use and water mismanagement have collided with the human-caused climate crisis to put “unprecedented stress” on the global water cycle. The global water cycle is off balance “for the firsttime in human history,” fueling a growing water disaster that will wreak havocon economies, food production and lives, according to this report.

The water cycle is a global common good (as should be governed as such) since there is interdependence and interconnectedness of communities, countries, and regions across local and transboundary water systems.

Some of the key findings of the Report are that:

• High-population density hotspots such as Northwestern India are particularly vulnerable to challenges associated with water. Poorest 10% of global population obtain over 70% of their annual precipitation from land-based sources.
• GDP losses from climate change, total water storage, and reduced WASH access to lower middle income countries such as India is around 14%.
• With the current trends, extreme water storage decline could make irrigation unfeasible, leading to a 23% reduction in global cereal production.

The report makes a number of recommendations, including that we build global water governance with an ambition of Global Water Pact (GWP) to set clear and measurable goals to stabilize hydrological cycle and safeguard world's water resources.

The Global Commission on the Economics of Water is a group of international leaders and experts.