50% Of Global Food Production At Risk Due To Water Crisis: Report

For the first time in recorded human history, the global water cycle is under severe stress due to a combination of human activity and climate change, according to a new report published by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a group of international leaders and experts.

The report says that decades of collective mismanagement and undervaluation of water around the world have damaged freshwater and land ecosystems and allowed for the continuing contamination of water resources. "We can no longer count on freshwater availability for our collective future," it added.

Johan Rockstrom, co-chair of the commission and one of the authors, said, “For the first time in human history, we are pushing the global water cycle out of balance. Precipitation, the source of all freshwater, can no longer be relied upon.”

The water cycle, the natural process through which water moves between the earth and the atmosphere, is essential for life on the planet. It involves the evaporation of water from the ground and other bodies, rising to form clouds and eventually falling to earth as rain or snow. However, disruptions to this delicate balance are already being felt around the globe.

“Nearly 3 billion people and more than half of the world's food production are now in areas where total water storage is projected to decline,” stated the report, adding that the situation will worsen significantly. It warns that more than 50% of the world's food production is at risk, and economic damage could see countries losing an average of 8% of their GDP by 2050, with poorer nations potentially facing losses of up to 15%.

The report distinguishes between “blue water,” or the liquid found in lakes, rivers and underground aquifers, and “green water,” which is moisture held within plants and soils. Although blue water has traditionally been the focus of water management efforts, the report stresses that green water is equally critical, as it contributes to about half of all rainfall on land through the process of plant transpiration.

In addition to these concerns, the report underlines that water cycle disruptions are tightly linked to the accelerating climate crisis. The loss of ecosystems like wetlands and forests, which act as carbon sinks, is contributing to further warming of the planet. This, in turn, leads to drier landscapes and a greater risk of fires, perpetuating the cycle of environmental degradation.

One of the most alarming statistics highlighted by the commission is the sheer volume of water required for human well-being. The report estimates that people need around 4,000 litres of water per day to maintain a “dignified life,” far exceeding the 50 to 100 litres deemed necessary for basic survival by the United Nations.

The severity of the situation was echoed by Richard Allan, a climate science professor from the University of Reading, who told CNN that the report painted “a grim picture of human-caused disruption to the global water cycle, the most precious natural resource that ultimately sustains our livelihoods.”

One of the key recommendations of the report is to reform the economic approach to water, urging governments to implement policies that promote sustainable use. This includes better pricing strategies that reflect water scarcity and discourage wasteful practices, such as growing water-intensive crops in drought-prone areas or establishing data centres in regions already facing water stress.