Summary

Of
UN world water development report (2014 & 2015)
Contents (2014)
External pressures that drive the demand for water
Current global water demand and projected increases
Water availability

External pressures that drive the demand for water

Alongside natural forces affecting the worlds water systems, human activities interact and
unite to create pressures on water resources, for which there are no substitutes.
Global population is projected to reach 9.3 billion in 2050 (UNDESA, 2012). Population growth
leads to increased water demand, reflecting growing needs for drinking water, health and
sanitation.
Consumer demand and increasing standards of living are driving increased demand for water.
Agriculture is the biggest water user, with irrigation accounting for 70% of global water
withdrawals with increasing demand for food, competition for water is rising.
Climate change impacts the hydrological cycle and consequently impacts water resources. For
example, higher temperatures and an increase in the rate of evaporation may affect water
supplies directly and potentially increase the water demand for agriculture and energy.
Government policies concerning water and water-related sectors can obviously aggravate or
improve pressures on water resources.

Current global water demand and projected increases

Globally, total freshwater withdrawals are believed to have increased by about 1% per year
between 1987 and 2000, based on data obtained from FAO AQUASTAT. It is reasonable to
assume this trend overall has continued since then at a similar rate to the present.
Agriculture accounts for roughly 70% of total freshwater withdrawals globally, with the
industrial and domestic sectors accounting for the remaining 20% and 10%, respectively,
although these figures vary considerably across countries. Without improved efficiencies,
agricultural water consumption is expected to increase by about 20% globally by 2050 (WWAP,
2012).

Domestic and industrial water demands are also expected to increase, especially in cities and
countries undergoing accelerated economic growth and social development.
According to the OECD, in the absence of new policies (i.e. the Baseline Scenario), freshwater
availability will be increasingly strained through 2050, with 2.3 billion more people than today
(in total more than 40% of the global population) projected to be living in areas subjected to
severe water stress, especially in North and South Africa and South and Central Asia. Global
water demand in terms of water withdrawals is projected to increase by some 55% due to
growing demands from manufacturing (400%) thermal electricity generation (140%) and
domestic use (130%) (OECD, 2012a) (Figure 2.1).

Water availability According to the most recent climate projections from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2008), dry regions are to a large extent
expected to get drier and wet regions are expected to get wetter, and overall variability will
increase. There is clear evidence that groundwater supplies are diminishing, with an estimated
20% of the worlds aquifers being over-exploited, some massively so (Gleeson et al., 2012).
Globally, the rate of groundwater abstraction is increasing by 1% to 2% per year (WWAP, 2012),
adding to water stress in several areas (Figure 2.4) and compromising the availability of
groundwater to serve as a bufer against local supply shortages.

Contents (2015)
Importance of water
Unsustainable growth
Increasing global water demand

Importance of water
Water is at the core of sustainable development. Water resources, and the range of services
they provide, reinforce poverty reduction, economic growth and environmental sustainability.
From food and energy security to human and environmental health, water contributes to
improvements in social well-being and inclusive growth, affecting the livelihoods of billions.

Unsustainable growth
The planets capacity to sustain the growing demands for freshwater is being challenged, and
there can be no sustainable development unless the balance between demand and supply is
restored. Global gross domestic product (GDP) rose at an average of 3.5% per year from 1960
to 2012 (World economics, 2014), and much of this economic growth has come at a significant
social and environmental cost.

Increasing global water demand Global water demand is largely influenced by

population growth, urbanization, food and energy security policies over the past century, the
development of water resources has been largely driven by the demands of expanding
populations for food, fiber and energy.
Demand for water is expected to increase in all sectors of production (WWaP, 2012). By 2030,
the world is projected to face a 40% global water deficit under the business-as-usual (BAU)
climate scenario (2030 WRG, 2009).
Population growth is another factor increasing the rate of water demand; the worlds
population is growing by about 80 million people per year (USCB, 2012). It is predicted to reach
9.1 billion by 2050.
Increasing urbanization is causing specific and often highly localized pressures on freshwater
resource availability, especially in drought-prone areas. More than 50% of people on the planet
now live in cities, with 30% of all city dwellers residing in slums. Urban populations are
projected to increase to a total of 6.3 billion by 2050 (WWAP, 2012). Developing countries
account for 93% of urbanization globally, 40% of which is the expansion of slums. By 2030, the
urban population in Africa and Asia will double (un-Habitat, 2010).

Excessive water withdrawals for agriculture and energy can further exacerbate water scarcity.
Freshwater withdrawals for energy production, which currently account for 15% of the worlds
total (WWAP, 2014), are expected to increase by 20% through 2035 (IEA, 2012). The agricultural
sector is already the largest user of water resources, accounting for roughly 70% of all
freshwater withdrawals globally, and over 90% in most of the worlds least-developed countries
(WWAP, 2014). Practices like efficient irrigation techniques can have a dramatic impact on
reducing water demand, especially in rural areas.

Assessment MDG achievements relating accessibility to safe drinking

water and improved sanitation
As we reach the end of the MDG period, the world community has reason to celebrate. Thanks
to concerted global, regional, national and local efforts, the MDGs have saved the lives of
millions and improved conditions for many more.
In 2015, 91 per cent of the global population is using an improved drinking water
source, compared to 76 per cent in 1990.
Of the 2.6 billion people who have gained access to improved drinking water since 1990,
1.9 billion gained access to piped drinking water on premises. Over half of the global
population (58 per cent) now enjoys this higher level of service.

Globally, 147 countries have met the drinking water target, 95 countries have met the
sanitation target and 77 countries have met both.
Worldwide, 2.1 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation. The
proportion of people practicing open defecation has fallen almost by half since1990.