U.N. report: Earth will only have 60 percent of the water it needs by 2030


A new U.N. report claims that without substantial change, Earth could face a massive water shortage as soon as 2030.
The report, "Water for a Sustainable World," says that in 2030, the Earth will only have 60 percent of the water it needs, if we continue on our current trajectory.
Countries such as India are "rapidly depleting" their groundwater sources, Time reports, and global rainfall is increasingly unpredictable, thanks to climate change. But the population is still increasing, raising the demand for potable water.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The report suggests increasing the price of water, reducing pollution to improve water quality, and developing new ways to recycle water as potential options for avoiding a water shortage.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
Child trust funds explained as over £1.5 million remains unclaimed
The Explainer HMRC data shows hundreds of thousands of young people have yet to claim money they are entitled to
-
How historically accurate is House of Guinness?
In the Spotlight The glossy Netflix show about the family behind the world-famous stout mixes fact with fiction
-
The week’s best photos
In Pictures A perching raven, a fearless climber, and more
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91
Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle