Water Security: A Global Issue with Personal Consequences

Strategic Insights -

More than 2.4 billion people live in countries with scarce water resources, and in 2022, 1.7 billion people used contaminated water sources, according to the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Water, Retno Marsudi. As the international community prepares for the UN Water Conference in 2026, Marsudi emphasizes that water security is a matter of survival, requiring collective action and the integration of sustainable infrastructure development. The conversation about water cannot be reduced to just infrastructure, but also encompasses climate change, extreme weather events, and lack of funding.

Key Takeaways:

  • 2.4 billion people live in countries with scarce water resources, with 1.7 billion people using contaminated water sources in 2022.
  • Climate change, extreme weather events, and lack of funding are the main threats to future water security.
  • Meeting future water and infrastructure needs will require approximately $6.7 trillion by 2030 and more than $22 trillion by 2050.
  • Water is everyone's responsibility, requiring international cooperation and the unification of efforts by various participants.
  • Nuclear technologies, such as isotope hydrology, hold significant potential for improving water resources management and tracking the origin and quality of water.
  • The upcoming UN Water Conference in 2026 in the United Arab Emirates will be critical for advancing global water progress and accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 -- clean water and sanitation.
  • The UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Water, Retno Marsudi, highlights the disproportionate impact of water scarcity on women and girls, who often bear the burden of water collection.

Statistics:

  • 2.4 billion people live in countries with scarce water resources.
  • 1.7 billion people used contaminated water sources in 2022.
  • Approximately $6.7 trillion will be required by 2030 to meet water and infrastructure needs.
  • More than $22 trillion will be required by 2050 to meet water and infrastructure needs.
  • The UN Water Conference in 2026 is expected to be a major milestone for advancing global water progress.

Sources:

  • United Nations
  • Retno Marsudi, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Water
  • International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)