The “new abnormal”: The rise of extreme flooding, briefly explained
VoxJUL 2023
Clean water, essential for life itself, already remains out of reach for billions of people worldwide. The situation is getting worse as climate change and population growth strain already limited resources. For every 1.8°F rise in global temperature, we lose 20% of our renewable water resources. While wealthy nations can often engineer solutions through desalination and infrastructure, poorer regions face devastating health and economic impacts. The problem transcends borders, sometimes sparking international tensions, yet global coordination to address this crisis remains inadequate.
Hope exists in our fight against the global water crisis, but it requires immediate action on multiple fronts. We can protect and restore natural water sources like wetlands and forests, while dramatically improving agricultural water efficiency through methods like drip irrigation. Cities must fix leaky infrastructure that wastes trillions of gallons yearly. Creative solutions like water recycling and rainwater harvesting show promise. Most importantly, we need integrated approaches that recognize water's connection to climate, food, and energy — backed by stronger political commitment.
There is a 37% chance humanity will (essentially) run out of at least one element currently considered "under serious threat" by 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.