Global Water Crisis : World Bank Report
The World Bank’s new report “Water for Shared Prosperity,” released at the 10th World Water Forum in Bali, Indonesia, highlights the alarming global water crisis and its implications for human and economic development worldwide.
Key Highlights:
- Significant gaps exist in access to water and sanitation services globally.
- As of 2022, 2.2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water services and 3.5 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation.
- Eight out of ten people without basic drinking water and sanitation services reside in rural areas.
- Disparity in Freshwater Distribution: China and India, with 36% of the global population, hold only 11% of freshwater, while North America, with 5% of the population, possesses 52%.
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo holds over half of Africa’s water resources, yet regions like the Sahel, Southeastern Africa, and South and Central Asia remain water-stressed.
- These regions have seen a regression in access to safe drinking water, with an additional 197 million people lacking access since 2000.
- Disparities in access also affect marginalized groups based on gender, location, ethnicity, race, and other social identities.
