Global Water Bankruptcy: UN Report Press Conference

The Era of Global Water Bankruptcy

• 💧 The world has entered an era of Global Water Bankruptcy, signifying a persistent failure state where water systems cannot return to historical baselines.
• 💡 This condition is defined by insolvency (withdrawing/polluting beyond renewable limits) and irreversibility (damage to aquifers, wetlands, soils, rivers, lakes, glaciers).
• 🌍 While assessed at basin/aquifer levels, the global risk landscape is fundamentally altered due to interconnectedness through food markets, supply chains, migration, and geopolitics.

Human and Environmental Toll

• 📈 Nearly three-quarters of the world's population lives in water-insecure countries, with billions lacking safe drinking water and sanitation.
• 📉 Over 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month annually.
• 🧊 More than half of the world's large lakes have declined, and significant wetland loss has occurred, impacting billions and costing trillions in lost ecosystem services.
• 🌾 About 70% of global freshwater withdrawals are for agriculture, with many food systems in areas of declining water storage, eroding yields.

Shifting from Crisis to Bankruptcy Management

• 🛠️ The report calls for a transition from crisis management to bankruptcy management, requiring honesty about irreversible losses and protection of remaining natural capital.
• 🚫 Development promises must align with hydrological realities, and growth must be decoupled from increasing water withdrawals.
• ⚖️ Water bankruptcy is a justice and security issue, disproportionately affecting smallholder farmers, Indigenous communities, and the urban poor.

Addressing Water Mismanagement

• 🌍 Asia faces significant water pressure due to large populations and reliance on agriculture, mirroring challenges in developing economies globally.
• 🤝 Classic solutions like subsidy removals are insufficient; countries need economic diversification and alternative livelihoods for farmers.
• 💡 Investment in water is an investment in climate, biodiversity, peacebuilding, and stability, offering opportunities for economic diversification and empowering farming communities.

Broader Implications and Opportunities

• 🏛️ Current governance, treaties, and infrastructure, often based on historical hydrology, are becoming unfit for purpose as baselines shift.
• 🚀 Water is presented not just as a risk but as a strategic opportunity to address climate, biodiversity, food, health, and stability agendas, fostering cooperation.
• 🗓️ The UN system is urged to use upcoming conferences to reset the global water agenda, recognize water bankruptcy, and move towards bankruptcy management.