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] Using AI modeling fed with experimentally validated data, researchers at the University of Sao Paulo predict the simultaneous impact of high temperatures, drought, and increased CO2. EurekAlert!
• [New] Data center energy and water use are expected to double by 2030. ASLA
• [New] Decreasing funding for the USDA's program and other conservation programs would increase farming-related pollution of drinking water and air, putting families at risk downstream. Environmental Working Group
• [New] Average - to Above-Average Seasonal Precipitation Will Improve but Not End Drought in the Southwest U.S. Drought.gov
• [New] Above-average rainfall totals will improve short-term drought conditions in the Southwest U.S. Drought.gov
• [New] Global demand for animal-based foods is projected to increase by nearly 70% by 2050 due to population growth and rising incomes, placing immense pressure on land and water resources. Market Data Forecast
• [New] Even following the Paris Agreement targets, drought-induced migration could increase by about 200% by the end of the 21st century. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Warming oceans, acidification and shifting species distributions are already disrupting fisheries worldwide, threatening the communities that depend on them. Inter Press Service
• [New] There were developing signs that an El Nino weather system could be developing over the tropical Pacific Ocean, which pushes Australia's east and south towards drier and hotter conditions in winter and spring. The Guardian
• [New] FAO has named Somalia's situation a triple threat - ongoing drought, conflict-driven supply disruption, and El Nino - noting that fuel prices in Mogadishu have doubled from roughly $0.60 to $1.50 per liter, cascading into food, transport, and input costs. ISCIENCES
• [New] Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens national and international fish stocks, ocean ecosystems, and global markets. SeafoodNews
• [New] A naval precinct in Perth is set to permanently host nuclear submarines from America's own fleet, in what will be one of US imperialism's most significant bases adjacent to the Indian Ocean. World Socialist Web Site
• [New] The observed decline in Arctic sea ice is projected to continue, opening shorter trade routes across the Arctic Ocean, with potentially global economic implications. AGU Journals
• [New] Climate change is anticipated to disrupt global transport routes through increasingly intense storms, rising sea levels, prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, and drought. GOV.UK
• [New] Amazon has set a target of becoming water positive by 2030, meaning it would return more water to communities than it consumes. Crypto Briefing
• [New] Sentinel-1NG will offer improved resolution and quad-polarization, plus a sea-ice mode and AIS for maritime surveillance, enabling day-and-night, all-weather monitoring for climate, land, oceans, and emergency-management applications. Cyclop SpaceTech
• [New] Texas communities face severe water shortages that threaten families, jobs and economic growth and should evaluate every available source of supply. Insurance Journal
• [New] Strong El Nino years often see an increase in East Pacific hurricane activity due to a combination of increased fuel (via elevated water temperatures) and decreased inhibition (via decreased vertical wind shear), and in 2026 will likely follow that pattern. Piedmont Exedra
• [New] The U.S. Department of Energy will split $94 million among eight companies in cost-sharing funding for the near-term deployment of small light water modular reactors. National Conference of State Legislatures
• [New] The UN urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems after confirming the onset of El Nino, warning that the Pacific Ocean-warming phenomenon will bring above-average temperatures nearly everywhere and fuel more extreme weather. UN News
• [New] A recent AWWA analysis titled Beyond the Replacement Era: Balancing Compounding Infrastructure Needs with Household Availability shows that drinking water infrastructure needs will exceed $2.1 trillion over the next 25 years, requiring a 168% annual increase in capital investment. Municipal Sewer and Water
• [New] The ocean economy is valued at $1.5 trillion per year and projected to exceed $3 trillion by 2030. The United Nations Office at Geneva
• [New] Worldwide, three-quarters of people could face drought impacts by 2050 all while datacenters use 9.3 tn liters of water in the coming decade, enough to meet the drinking water needs of the planet's human population for over a year, the United Nations has estimated. The Guardian

Last updated: 20 June 2026