Global Scans · Water · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Global demand for fresh water is expected to outpace sustainable supply by 40% in 2030. Global water demand will climb in tandem with population and economic growth. At least two-thirds of the world's population will face 'water stress' by 2025 and the number of people affected by floods could increase by a factor of three by 2100 bring significant risk of unrest and conflict. The UN Security Council will have to declare water a strategic resource of humanity and adopt a resolution to protect water resources and installations. Organizations will be expected to play their part in conserving water.

• [New] Water risk could reduce GDP across major economies by more than USD 5 trillion by 2050. GHD
• [New] EPA has emphasized that cyberattacks on drinking water and wastewater systems have the potential to threaten public health and community resilience. Washington State Department of Health
• [New] Water Gap, described as the first unified strategy to achieve universal access to safe, running water and working sanitation in every American home by 2040. Informed Infrastructure
• [New] Severe April-May heatwaves increased crop water demand and heat stress risks, particularly in northern and central India. Economic Development & Finance Authority
• [New] NZ's clean-water provenance is only worth a premium if it can be proven digitally, end to end, in the systems buyers now expect. Path Forward - Primary Sector Strategy That Secures Fun
• [New] Oxygen is disappearing from oceans, lakes, rivers, and coastal waters at an alarming rate, threatening aquatic life and weakening the natural processes that help regulate Earth's climate. ScienceDaily
• [New] Eastern Border Cities: Urban areas in Eastern New Mexico, most notably Clovis and Portales, are facing severe long-term threats to their survival as their primary water reserves dry up. Coyote Gulch
• [New] New Mexico will lose 25% to 30% of its available water by 2050. Coyote Gulch

Last updated: 01 August 2026