Hydric stress

Ten years ago, the Rio Summit highlighted the water shortage that overshadowed, by 2025, 50 countries in which 40% of the world population actually live. According to the latest forecasts, by 2025 there will be more countries facing a water stress (1000 m³/inhab./year).

The scarcity of the resource is mainly due to the unequal distribution of water in time and space, accentuated by climatic differences. The areas most affected by the scarcity are initially the arid countries but other areas are currently undergoing a chronic water deficit such as the West of the United States or certain regions in Latin America.

There are new technological solutions to solve structural tensions (caused by uses and infrastructures) and geographical tensions (due to the climate), such as the desalination technique or the re-use of water once treated. These solutions naturally fall under a more global policy of integrated management of the resource.

The scientific community also agrees about the unpredictability of the change in the water resource due to climate changes. In relation to this issue, greater coordination on a worldwide scale is imperative (structured organisation, pooling of techniques, technical advances, etc). Serious committees such as that of the IPCC (International Panel for Climate Change) are working on various scenarios.