Overview
- A new UNU-INWEH assessment finds many freshwater systems have crossed irreversible thresholds, leaving long-term reserves in groundwater, glaciers, wetlands and lakes effectively depleted.
- The report details widespread impacts, with about 4 billion people facing severe scarcity for at least one month each year and roughly 3 billion living where overall reserves are declining or unstable.
- Agriculture accounts for the largest share of withdrawals, with around 40% of irrigation supplied by shrinking aquifers, intensifying threats to food security and global markets.
- Hotspots include the Middle East and North Africa, parts of South Asia and the U.S. Southwest, while trade, migration and supply chains transmit risks to water‑rich regions such as Europe.
- Authors urge measures including strict wetland protection, limits on groundwater extraction and restructuring of water‑intensive sectors, with the agenda set to shape a UN water conference in the UAE later this year.