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] AI's water usage is set to grow by about 130%, or by about 30 trillion liters (7.9 trillion gallons) of water through 2050. Fortune
• [New] Water used for data-centre cooling will triple by 2050 as AI adoption accelerates. FirstPost
• [New] AI as a whole will increase its cumulative power and water consumption greatly over the next 20 years or so. Fortune
• [New] By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40% global water deficit under the business-as-usual climate scenario. InternationalDayForests
• [New] By 2050, an extra 2.3 billion people are projected to be living in river basins under severe water stress, especially in North and South Africa, and South and Central Asia. InternationalDayForests
• [New] Public water supplies will be short of 5 billion liters of water a day by 2055 with an additional 1 billion liters of water needed in the wider economy. Blue Patch
• [New] In 2026, Clean Water Action will be seeking the passage of several bills to remove mercury from skin lighteners, carcinogens in hair products and PFAS in menstrual products. Clean Water Action
• [New] The mechanism through 2035 will be increasingly driven by regulatory pressure for emission control and waste minimization, coupled with the economic incentive to recover and reuse raw materials and water. IndexBox Inc.
• [New] Looking to 2035, key indicators will be production volumes of premium products (plant-based proteins, functional beverages), stringent food safety standards, and sustainability targets for water and waste. IndexBox Inc.
• [New] As a result, water utilities serving 67 million customers across the U.S. are at high risk from climate hazards, roughly a fifth of the entire U.S. population. ABC News
• [New] Effective reuse can reduce water-related risks by up to 50%, making it a smart move for businesses in water-stressed regions. hackz.top
• [New] By 2030, Ecolab aims to help conserve 300 billion gallons of water per year, while protecting local watersheds and strengthening community water resilience. Boston College
• [New] The investment case is compelling: solving global water challenges would require approximately $55 billion - just one-fifth of the economic value currently at risk. Boston College
• [New] One in five companies reports exposure to water-related supply chain risks, while more than $300 billion in business value is globally at risk if water scarcity remains unaddressed. Boston College
• [New] By 2040, one in four children worldwide is projected to live in areas of extremely high water stress, increasing exposure to malnutrition, waterborne disease, and educational disruption. Boston College
• [New] By 2030, up to 700 million people could be displaced due to worsening water stress, contributing to climate migration, geopolitical instability, and humanitarian emergencies. Boston College
• [New] As climate volatility intensifies, water scarcity is becoming a defining challenge of the 21st century, reshaping how governments, communities, and businesses manage risk, resilience, and growth. Boston College
• [New] As climate pressures intensify, the choices made by corporations, policymakers, and investors will shape whether global water systems stabilize or collapse under rising demand. Boston College
• [New] The rising cases of diseases associated with contaminated water in underdeveloped countries will offer lucrative demand for the installation of atmospheric water generators in the Asia Pacific during the forecast period. Precedence Research
• [New] As climate change accelerates and the Arctic Ocean shifts from year-round to purely seasonal ice cover, a transpolar passage will open up by the mid-21st century, if not sooner. commonspace.eu
• [New] Under the highest emissions scenario, sea ice coverage could fall by 20%, devastating species that rely on it - such as krill, an important prey for whales and penguins - and amplifying ocean warming worldwide. Mirage News

Last updated: 14 March 2026