{"id":2377,"date":"2026-10-15T01:18:57","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/?p=2377"},"modified":"2026-10-15T01:21:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T22:21:19","slug":"scientists-are-sounding-the-alarm-the-world-is-rapidly-losing-fresh-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/2026\/10\/15\/scientists-are-sounding-the-alarm-the-world-is-rapidly-losing-fresh-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists are sounding the alarm: the world is rapidly losing fresh water"},"content":{"rendered":"

Against a backdrop of population growth, urbanization, and industrial demand, global water consumption could increase by 20\u201333% by 2050 compared to 2010 levels. At the same time, water remains a highly unevenly distributed resource: although it covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, only approximately 2.5% of the world’s water supply is freshwater. Of this share, nearly 69% is concentrated in glaciers and ice caps, approximately 30% is in groundwater, and the most accessible surface water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands accounts for only about 1%.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The fresh water problem<\/span><\/h2>\n

Fresh water is becoming a strategic resource for the global economy, comparable in importance to oil and grain. This is according to a report by the Roscongress Institute for World Market Studies, “The Fresh Water Market: Natural Reserves, Technologies, and Geopolitical Game,” published in April 2026.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

According to the report, more than 2 billion people worldwide already experience severe water stress, and approximately 4 billion\u2014almost half the planet’s population\u2014face acute shortages at least one month a year. High levels of water stress are observed in half of the world’s 100 largest cities, with 38 of them, including Beijing, New York, and Delhi, located in regions with extremely high levels of water stress.<\/span><\/p>\n

Against a backdrop of population growth, urbanization, and industrial demand, global water consumption could increase by 20\u201333% by 2050 compared to 2010 levels. At the same time, water remains a highly unevenly distributed resource: although it covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, only approximately 2.5% of the world’s water supply is freshwater. Of this share, nearly 69% is concentrated in glaciers and ice caps, approximately 30% is in groundwater, and the most accessible surface water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands accounts for only about 1%.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report notes that the largest freshwater reserves outside the Arctic and Antarctic are located in the so-called “Third Pole”\u2014the region of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountain ranges, including the Himalayas, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Pamir, and Tien Shan. Approximately 16\u201325% of the world’s population relies on meltwater from this region. The Greenland Ice Sheet, with an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 1.7 million square kilometers, is considered the largest freshwater reservoir in the Northern Hemisphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Middle East and North Africa remain the region most vulnerable to water shortages. In the Persian Gulf countries, where many countries lack permanent river flows, desalination is becoming a key source of water supply. More than 400 desalination plants operate along the Persian Gulf coast, producing approximately 40% of the world’s desalinated water. In Qatar, desalination supplies 99% of drinking water, and in Bahrain, over 90%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Agriculture remains the main consumer of freshwater. According to the FAO, in 2022, it accounted for 72% of global water withdrawals, industry for 15%, and the municipal and domestic sector for 13%. Groundwater provides approximately half of the water withdrawn for domestic use and about a quarter of the water used for irrigation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nInfographics: NIA “Ecology”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Water scarcity directly impacts food security. A report citing the World Resources Institute states that a quarter of the world’s crops are grown in areas with highly unstable or unreliable water supplies. Rice, wheat, and maize, which provide more than half of the world’s calories, are particularly vulnerable. About a third of these crops are grown using highly stressed or unstable water resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Water is also becoming a significant factor for industry. The report names fashion, electronics, and energy as among the most water-intensive sectors after agriculture. The increasing water consumption of data centers is particularly noted: the International Energy Agency predicts it will increase from approximately 560 million cubic meters in 2023 to 1.2 billion cubic meters by 2030. This volume is comparable to the annual consumption of a city with a population of approximately 7.5 million.<\/span><\/p>\n

Water shortages also impact global trade and logistics. The report cites examples of declining water levels in the Rhine, drought in Taiwan, problems with barley and hop supplies in South Africa, restrictions in the Panama Canal, and disruptions to river transport in the Amazon basin. In each of these cases, water shortages led to supply chain disruptions, increased costs, or reduced production.<\/span><\/p>\n

A separate section of the report is devoted to water generation technologies. Key solutions include water reuse, desalination, geothermal water and atmospheric moisture extraction, and fog and dew harvesting. There are approximately 21,000 desalination plants operating worldwide, producing approximately 110 million cubic meters of water per day. The largest facilities are located in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel, with capacity also growing in the US, India, and China.<\/span><\/p>\n

Desalination, however, faces environmental challenges. The report notes that brines generated by the plants are often discharged back into the seas, increasing salinity and altering the health of marine ecosystems. Furthermore, desalination remains an energy-intensive process. Against this backdrop, countries with high solar activity and freshwater shortages are developing solar desalination technologies, but the efficiency of such systems remains limited and dependent on weather conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Water is increasingly becoming a factor in international politics. The report notes a rise in water-related conflicts. According to the Pacific Institute, 420 such conflicts were recorded in 2024\u2014a record high. Among the most sensitive areas are the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, Jordan, and Indus basins, as well as Greenland, which has significant freshwater reserves.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report’s authors also point out that attacks on water infrastructure can be used as a tool of pressure in conflicts. Countries dependent on desalination plants are identified as particularly vulnerable: damage to such facilities could lead not only to social and economic consequences but also to environmental damage due to the potential release of chemicals into the environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

The world is rapidly losing freshwater\u2014that’s the conclusion reached by the World Bank in its first Global Water Monitoring Report, “Continental Drought,” due out in November 2025. The study is based on two decades of satellite observations of changes in terrestrial water reserves and shows a persistent “continental drying”\u2014a long-term decline in water reserves on land.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

According to the report, annual freshwater losses amount to 324 billion cubic meters\u2014a volume comparable to the combined annual flow of Western Europe’s largest rivers and sufficient to meet the annual needs of 280 million people. This trend has been observed for over twenty years, suggesting a systemic depletion of water reserves.<\/span><\/p>\n

The decline is occurring at varying scales. On average, river basins are losing about 3% of their annual renewable freshwater supply, but in arid regions, the median decline reaches 10%, greatly exacerbating the deficit in already high areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

An analysis of the sources of losses shows that in unglaciated regions (where there are no glaciers), groundwater bears the brunt of the loss: 68% of the loss is due to groundwater depletion. Another 18% is due to a decrease in surface water reserves, 9% to a decrease in soil moisture, and 5% to a reduction in snow cover.<\/span><\/p>\n

Satellite data is recording the formation of large “mega-dry” zones\u2014regions where localized pockets of dehydration are converging into a single system. These zones include Alaska and northern Canada, Central America and the southwestern United States, northern Russia, Central Asia, northern China, much of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South and Southeast Asia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nAFP<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The report shows that global warming and increasingly frequent droughts are key climate factors accelerating water loss. However, a significant portion of the changes are also related to human activities: land cultivation, urban expansion, water abstraction, and irrigation. Irrigation is estimated to consume approximately 70% of all freshwater used by humans, and nearly 50% of this volume is supplied by groundwater.<\/span><\/p>\n

As warming and dehydration increase, the associated risks also increase. The report estimates that a one-standard unit increase in freshwater loss increases the probability of wildfires by 27% and the average burned area by 46%. In biological hotspots, the risk increases by up to 50%.<\/span><\/p>\n

The economic consequences are also significant. Analysis shows that in sub-Saharan Africa, water shortages annually throw 600,000\u2013900,000 people out of work, representing up to 9% of new jobs created. In agricultural areas, the employment loss during dry periods reaches 7.4 percentage points.<\/span><\/p>\n

Global water is under growing demand: from 2000 to 2019, global consumption increased by 25%, and about a third of this growth occurred in regions already experiencing drying.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report notes that reduced water availability can have economic impacts that extend far beyond the countries experiencing shortages. For example, a 100 mm reduction in annual rainfall in India, under certain conditions, could reduce global real income by $68 billion.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The authors emphasize that despite the scale of the crisis, the potential for adaptation remains significant. Increasing water use efficiency in agriculture to the global median could reduce water consumption by 137 billion cubic meters\u2014enough to meet the annual needs of 118 million people.<\/span><\/p>\n

The report concludes that the global water system has entered a new phase \u2013 one in which not only extreme droughts or floods, but also the very basic quantity of available freshwater is changing faster than ever before, becoming a key challenge for economies, ecosystems, and populations.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a 2024 study by scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, by 2100, seawater will infiltrate underground freshwater reserves in approximately three out of four coastal areas worldwide. In addition to making water in some coastal aquifers unsuitable for drinking and irrigation, these changes could harm ecosystems and corrode infrastructure.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This phenomenon, called saltwater intrusion, occurs beneath coastlines where two bodies of water naturally hold each other in check. Rainfall on land replenishes freshwater in coastal aquifers (underground rocks and soil that contain water), which tends to flow underground toward the ocean. Meanwhile, seawater, under pressure from the ocean, tends to move inland. Although some mixing occurs in the transition zone where the two bodies of water meet, the balance of these opposing forces generally maintains freshwater on one side and saltwater on the other.<\/span><\/p>\n

Currently, two effects of climate change are tipping the scales in favor of saltwater. Under the influence of global warming, rising sea levels are pushing coastlines inland and increasing the force pushing saltwater onto land. At the same time, slower groundwater recharge\u2014due to reduced precipitation and warmer weather\u2014is weakening the force pushing freshwater underground in some areas.<\/span><\/p>\n

A study published in November 2024 in Geophysical Research Letters assessed more than 60,000 coastal drainage basins (areas through which precipitation and meltwater from a region drain into a common drainage system) worldwide. The study mapped how reduced groundwater recharge and rising sea levels would facilitate saltwater intrusion and estimated their cumulative impacts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nBy 2100, watersheds along the U.S. East Coast will be among the areas most vulnerable to groundwater intrusion due to rising sea levels and changes in groundwater supplies, according to a NASA and Department of Defense study. This image was acquired by NASA’s Terra satellite on April 21, 2023. NASA<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Considering these two factors separately, the study’s authors found that by 2100, sea level rise will cause saltwater to migrate inland in 82% of the coastal watersheds studied. The transition zone in these locations will shift a relatively small distance: no more than 656 feet (200 meters) from its current position. Vulnerable areas include low-lying regions such as Southeast Asia, the Gulf Coast, and much of the East Coast of the United States.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, slowing groundwater recharge alone will lead to saltwater intrusion in 45% of the coastal watersheds studied. In these areas, the transition zone will shift further inland than would otherwise be the case due to sea level rise\u2014in some places, up to 1,200 meters. The most affected regions include the Arabian Peninsula, Western Australia, and the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. In approximately 42% of coastal watersheds, groundwater recharge will increase, shifting the transition zone oceanward and, in some areas, overcoming the effect of saltwater intrusion due to sea level rise.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, the study found that due to the combined effects of sea level change and groundwater recharge, saltwater intrusion will occur in 77% of the coastal watersheds studied by the end of the century.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, declining groundwater recharge rates will determine how deeply saltwater infiltrates inland, while sea level rise will determine the extent of its global spread. “Depending on where you are and which factor predominates, your management decisions may change,” said Kira Adams, a groundwater specialist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and lead author of the paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, if the primary cause of groundwater intrusion in an area is low recharge rates, local authorities can address this by protecting groundwater resources, she said. On the other hand, if the larger concern is that sea level rise will oversaturate an aquifer, authorities can divert groundwater.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nA NASA and U.S. Department of Defense study estimates that by 2100, saltwater intrusion will affect groundwater in approximately three out of four coastal aquifers worldwide. Saltwater could make groundwater in coastal areas unsuitable for drinking and irrigation, harm ecosystems, and corrode infrastructure. NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The study, jointly funded by NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), is part of an effort to assess how sea level rise will impact coastal facilities and other Department of Defense (DoD) infrastructure. It used watershed information collected in HydroSHEDS, a database managed by the World Wildlife Fund that utilizes elevation data from NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. To estimate saltwater intrusion distances by 2100, the researchers used a model that accounts for groundwater recharge, groundwater table rise, freshwater and saltwater density, and coastal water migration due to sea level rise, among other variables.<\/span><\/p>\n

Study co-author Ben Hamlington, a climate scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-leader of NASA’s Sea Level Change Group, said the global pattern is similar to what researchers are seeing for coastal flooding: “As sea level rises, the risk of flooding increases everywhere. Regarding saltwater intrusion, we see that sea level rise increases the baseline risk that changes in groundwater recharge will be a significant factor.”<\/span><\/p>\n

He said that for countries that lack the necessary knowledge to develop such a system independently, a globally agreed-upon framework that takes into account the local impacts of climate change is crucial. “Those with the least resources are the ones most affected by rising sea levels and climate change,” Hamlington said, “so this approach could be of great benefit.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Research has shown that approximately 3.8 billion people currently lack access to safe drinking water for at least one month a year. Experts predict that by the end of this century, clean water shortages will likely affect 66% of the world’s population, according to research conducted in 2024.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This trend is explained by humanity’s increasing use of water due to urbanization and changes in resource management practices. Furthermore, environmental pollution in general is contributing to the decline in clean water supplies.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Scientists have built a model that shows that, in addition to growing water shortages, their impact will also be uneven across different regions. Thanks to abundant water resources, Western Europe and North America will experience water shortages for only a few months a year. Meanwhile, in Africa and other developing countries, they will last for most of the year. The worst impact, according to the scientists, will be in southern Africa, which has the fastest population growth and where deteriorating water quality and climate change are most noticeable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Data from 2025, based on more than two decades of satellite observations, shows that since 2002, the Earth’s continents have experienced unprecedented freshwater loss due to climate change, unsustainable groundwater management, and extreme droughts. A study conducted by Arizona State University and published in the journal Science Advances highlights the emergence of four continental-scale “mega-arid” regions located in the Northern Hemisphere and warns of serious consequences for water security, agriculture, sea level rise, and global stability.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Drylands are expanding annually, adding approximately twice the size of California. And the rate at which drylands are becoming drier is currently outpacing the rate at which other regions are becoming wetter, altering established hydrological patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n

The negative impact this has on freshwater availability is staggering. Seventy-five percent of the world’s population lives in 101 countries that have experienced freshwater shortages over the past 22 years. According to the United Nations, the global population is expected to continue growing over the next 50\u201360 years, while freshwater availability is declining sharply.<\/span><\/p>\n

The study found that a tipping point likely occurred around 2014\u20132015, during a period considered a “mega-El Ni\u00f1o.” Extreme climate events began to accelerate, and in response, groundwater use increased, with continental drying outpacing glacier melt.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the key factors driving the drying of the continents is the intensification of extreme droughts in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, such as in Europe. Furthermore, in Canada and Russia, melting of snow, ice, and permafrost has accelerated over the past decade, and the ongoing depletion of groundwater reserves worldwide is a major factor.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, the study found that since 2002, only the tropics have continued to become wetter at mid-latitude, something not predicted by IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) climate models.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Bali National Land Agency, the island has lost more than 6,500 hectares of rice paddies over the past five years, representing more than 9% of its total area. A 2018 report by the Transnational Institute estimated that Bali has already lost nearly a quarter of its agricultural land, as tourism has grown by 330% over the past 25 years.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Along with the rice paddies, centuries-old infrastructure that viewed water as a gift to be shared is disappearing. Rice paddies are not only a source of income but also water infrastructure. Rice paddies slow down water runoff, store it, and replenish the aquifer. When they are covered with concrete, this function is lost forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Offerings are made to Dewi Danu, the goddess of water, in Bali, and water is viewed not as a resource but as a gift to be shared. In 2012, UNESCO listed this system as a World Heritage Site. For over 1,000 years, it connected springs to fields and families, but this chain is breaking. The rice fields that once stood here are now replaced by concrete, tattoo studios, coworking spaces and restaurants, gyms with padel courts, infinity pools, and ice baths.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2024, Bali welcomed over 16 million tourists, four times the island’s permanent population. While tourism plays a significant role in Bali’s economy, this influx of visitors has not only changed the island’s appearance but also impacted its relationship with water: tourism consumes over 65% of Bali’s freshwater.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

According to a study conducted by IDEP’s Bali Water Protection Program and local hydrologists, groundwater extraction in southern Bali, where most development is concentrated, has led to groundwater levels exceeding acceptable levels in many areas. Coastal wells are becoming brackish as seawater infiltrates the island to fill the voids. In 2018, the IDEP Foundation, a Bali-based NGO focused on community resilience and sustainable development, declared Bali to be facing a water crisis. Since then, the organization has found evidence of seawater intrusion in at least six of the island’s nine districts.<\/span><\/p>\n

IDEP estimates that a tourist at a resort requires between 2,000 and 4,000 liters of water per day for swimming pools, gardens, laundry, and hotel maintenance, while the average Bali resident needs 30\u201350 liters.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to IDEP staff, there are approximately 10,000 water supply companies in Bali, and approximately half of them operate illegally or without the proper permits. Agricultural land has decreased by 60%, while the area of \u200b\u200bundeveloped land has increased by 69%.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Russia’s population is generally well-off with groundwater reserves, their distribution across the country remains extremely uneven. This was stated by Russian Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Alexander Kozlov in an interview with TASS ahead of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June 2026.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

According to the head of the Ministry of Natural Resources, groundwater shortages persist in a number of regions. These include the Republic of Karelia, the Republic of Kalmykia, the Republic of Dagestan, the Chuvash Republic, and the Vologda, Leningrad, Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, Omsk, and Astrakhan regions.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the minister explained, the reasons for the shortage vary by region. In some cases, the limiting factor is the increased natural mineralization of groundwater. In northern regions, the presence of permafrost affects resource availability, while in other regions, the problem is related to the low water content of aquifers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nNIA “Ecology”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Alexander Kozlov noted that the country’s major cities rely primarily on surface water sources\u2014rivers and reservoirs. Groundwater, however, remains a vital resource for smaller towns, rural areas, and remote regions.<\/span><\/p>\n

To address water shortages, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in conjunction with the regions, continues to implement geological exploration programs. According to the minister, groundwater exploration is carried out annually, using federal funds, in areas experiencing drinking water shortages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing groundwater resources remains a key focus of state water security policy. Geological exploration allows us to identify new water supply sources and create a long-term reserve to provide the population with high-quality drinking water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternative solutions to the problem of fresh water shortage<\/span><\/h2>\n

Researchers at the University of Rochester (USA) have presented a new solar-thermal desalination technology that enables the production of freshwater from seawater without the use of chemicals or the formation of brine, a major byproduct of traditional desalination plants. The results were published in the journal Light: Science & Applications in May 2026.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

According to UN estimates, approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water. In many arid regions, including the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of the United States, desalination remains a primary means of providing fresh water. However, existing technologies require significant energy inputs and produce concentrated brine, which, when discharged into water bodies, can negatively impact marine ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n

The system, developed by American scientists, uses special panels made of so-called “black metal,” the surface of which is treated with femtosecond lasers. This treatment allows the material to almost completely absorb solar radiation and effectively retain a thin layer of water on the surface.<\/span><\/p>\n

During operation, water is evaporated by solar energy, and dissolved salts and minerals are removed from the active desalination zone. Unlike many existing solar systems, the new technology prevents the accumulation of salt deposits on the working surface, which typically leads to reduced equipment efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nNIA “Ecology”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

To solve this problem, the researchers used the so-called “coffee ring” effect\u2014a physical phenomenon in which particles in an evaporating liquid migrate to the edges of the surface. Thanks to specially formed microgrooves, salts and minerals are automatically transported to a separate passive zone, where they can be collected without interrupting the desalination process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tests were conducted on water samples from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. According to the authors, the system demonstrated self-cleaning properties and stable operation without the formation of difficult-to-remove salt deposits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another feature of the technology is the ability to extract useful minerals. According to the developers, instead of generating waste, the system produces salts in solid form that can be reused. Of particular interest is lithium, a key component of batteries for electronics and electric vehicles.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a separate study published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, scientists demonstrated the possibility of extracting lithium directly during desalination. Experiments with water from the Great Salt Lake yielded approximately 50% of the lithium contained in the solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

Project leader Chunlei Guo, a professor of optics and physics at the University of Rochester, noted that traditional lithium mining is associated with significant environmental and energy costs, so technologies for extracting it from saltwater bodies could be widely developed in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the authors, the technology has high scalability potential and could potentially be used both to provide the population with drinking water and to obtain strategically important mineral resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran, a country of over 46 million people, is experiencing a sharp decline in water supplies due to a variety of factors, including the construction of dams on upstream rivers in Turkey, Iran, and Syria; crumbling and outdated water infrastructure following decades of war, sanctions, and instability; and government mismanagement. The situation is exacerbated by a severe drought caused by climate change\u2014the worst in Iraq in nearly a century. Meanwhile, demand is rising due to an expanding urban population and overconsumption by the agricultural sector, which uses over 80% of Iraq’s water resources.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Approximately 60% of Iraq’s water comes from sources in neighboring Turkey, but the country is currently receiving less water than in previous years. Dams built upstream of these two rivers, particularly those in Turkey, significantly restrict water flow into Iraq, leading to a significant reduction in water availability and exacerbating the country’s ongoing water shortage crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
\nZaid Al-Obeidi\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Amid a worsening water crisis, Iraq entered into a controversial cooperation agreement with Turkey. In November, the two countries formalized a multi-billion-dollar Framework Agreement on Water Cooperation. Under the agreement, Iraq will sell an agreed-upon number of barrels of oil daily, with the proceeds going into a fund to pay Turkish companies for water infrastructure projects. As part of the deal, Turkish companies will build reservoirs, dams, and other infrastructure in Iraq to improve water efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Iraqi government claims that the agreement establishes for the first time a mechanism for guaranteed water supply, taking into account the country’s needs for agriculture, industry, and drinking water, while maintaining full sovereignty over resource management. However, the deal has sparked domestic criticism. Some Iraqi politicians and experts consider it unacceptable to link water access to oil revenues and fear increasing Baghdad’s dependence on Ankara. They believe the agreement could give Turkey additional leverage at a time of Iraq’s vulnerability.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/i> Comment on Facebook* The owner of the Meta company is recognized as extremist in Russia and is banned.<\/span><\/a>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Against a backdrop of population growth, urbanization, and industrial demand, global water consumption could increase by 20\u201333% by 2050 compared to 2010 levels. At the same time, water remains a highly unevenly distributed resource: although it covers approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface, only approximately 2.5% of the world’s water supply is freshwater. Of this share, nearly 69% is concentrated in glaciers and ice caps, approximately 30% is in groundwater, and the most accessible surface water in rivers, lakes, and wetlands accounts for only about 1%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,539],"tags":[577,575],"class_list":{"0":"post-2377","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"category-hydrosphere","9":"tag-fresh-water","10":"tag-groundwater"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2377"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2380,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2377\/revisions\/2380"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/planeta21vek.ru\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}