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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] Innovative Financial Initiatives for Africa will help close adaptation finance gaps, enhance access to existing finance and mobilize new public and private sector investment.
[New] JOHANNESBURG - The value of iridium for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis technology alone could exceed R90 billion in the next ten to 20 years.
[New] In India, China could go democratic tomorrow and it would not matter as long as the active border dispute remains, China is Pakistan's best friend, and Chinese military vessels remain increasingly active in the Indian Ocean.
[New] While Addis Ababa's desire to take full advantage of the long-under-exploited river and to gain its energy independence is above all, Khartoum and Cairo fear for their almost entirely Nile-dependent water supply.
[New] Water supply will be temporarily switched off in parts of Capella as contractor New Plumbing Solutions completes replacement works on water hydrants and valves.
[New] Ocean acidification: Rising atmospheric CO2 levels are increasing the acidity of the world's oceans, posing a severe risk to marine biodiversity and particularly invertebrates whose shells dissolve in acidic waters.
[New] In countries like the U.S., it could be used to purify rainwater as a backup water supply, or as a backstop for failing water infrastructure.
[New] In much of the world, where around 790 million people do not have access to clean drinking water, it could offer a low-cost option for purifying local water supplies.
[New] The goal of the USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment activity is to strengthen regional capacity to manage shared water resources and mitigate environmental risks in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins.
[New] China's desire to decarbonise its economy and its ability to lower costs means it could come to dominate the manufacturing of electrolysers-devices that use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
[New] Australian agriculture and food security are exposed to increasing risk from droughts, extreme high temperatures, coastal inundation, floods, invasive species and fires.
[New] Australian agriculture and food security are already exposed to increased risk from drought, heatwaves, fires, floods and invasive species.
[New] Water availability for agriculture in all areas of the US will be significantly reduced, primarily because of climate change, but also due to current water use patterns.
[New] Increased crop and livestock production during the next 5 to 7 decades will significantly increase the demand on all water resources, especially in the western, southern, and central United States and in many regions of the world with low rainfall.
[New] The rapid depletion of groundwater poses a serious threat to water supplies in world agricultural regions, especially for irrigation.
[New] Population growth, accompanied by increased water use, will not only severely reduce water availability per person but also create stress on biodiversity in the entire global ecosystem.
[New] The increasing demands placed on the global water supply threaten biodiversity and the supply of water for food production and other vital human needs.
[New] As China continues to push its aggressive territorial claims in the SCS and elsewhere, and as the United States continues to enforce free access to disputed waters through FONOPS and other exercises, the risk of another accident between the US and Chinese military is rising.
[New] While China will never establish full sea control in the Indian Ocean, it will likely possess the ability to provide a credible deterrent to other states that may threaten Chinese sea lines of communication or entities.
[New] China will continue to be a free rider on the American-led protection of oil sea lines of communication for years.
[New] Over the next few decades, the average water availability in some regions is projected to decrease by 10-30%, meaning 2.4 billion people across the world will be living in areas subject to periods of intense water scarcity, displacing as many as 700 million people.
Rising seas, extreme heat, drought, and wildfires are among the environmental stressors that will continue to affect communities throughout the United States and the world.

Last updated: 10 April 2021

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