We are pushing the global water cycle out of balance”: experts warn of a worldwide crisis

Droughts, floods, famines: the global water crisis threatens food security and economic stability. The new report from the Global Commission on the Economy of Water calls for urgent action to protect the hydrological cycle

According to Johan Rockström, co-chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water:

“We can’t rely on rainfall anymore.” As one recent report put it, bad water management and today’s climate crisis threaten the delicate mechanism whereby life was supported on Earth.

Already, three billion people suffer from water scarcity. By 2050, the water crisis could threaten more than 50% of global food production and shrink countries’ GDPs by an average of 8%.

Speaking simplistically, we break down the nuanced system by which water moves constantly around between land, atmosphere, and oceans. Decades of overexploitation of soil, deforestation, and mismanagement, added to recently accelerating climate change, has put “unprecedented stress” on this vital circle.

Water evaporates from oceans, rivers, lakes, and plants; cools into the atmosphere; travels over long distances; and returns in rain or snow. This vital cycle is now at risk. The “Blue Water” and “Green Water” concept-led report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water points to the crucial distinction to be made between “blue water” – liquid water in rivers, lakes, and groundwater – and “green water“.

Often overlooked, green water is a vital component of the hydrologic cycle, evaporated from vegetation and generating approximately half of the precipitation on land. Its preservation is essential to the well-being of the planet because regional precipitation is influenced directly by it.

An ecosystem in crisis

The water crisis and climate crisis are intertwined. Green water-covered vegetation absorbs enormous quantities of atmospheric carbon. The deforestation and destruction of wetlands, including swamps and peatlands, shrink the carbon sink capacity of the Earth. Aside from releasing enormous quantities of CO₂, which in itself would already be terrible, deforestation also aggravates the water crisis: trees play an extremely crucial role in the water cycle through transpiration. They absorb water from the soil and release it into the atmosphere.

The destruction of forests decreases the carbon storage capacity of Earth, causes disturbance in the water cycle, enhances drought, and desertification, which, in turn, accelerates global warming.

The rise in temperature is causing the drying of the soil, thereby reducing moisture and enhancing the chances of fire hazard.

Mankind is reconfiguring the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere above it, amplifying wet and dry extremes, says Richard Allan, professor of climatology at the University of Reading. We are seeing more floods in some areas and severe droughts in others.

The result of this imbalance is already clear: wilting crops, subsiding cities as the levels of groundwater decline, and billions of people barely surviving on less than enough safe drinking water.

An uncertain future

According to the report, by 2050, global demand for fresh water will surpass supply by 40%.

As the director-general of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says, “The global water crisis is a tragedy, but it’s also an opportunity to transform the water economy.” The world needs correct valuation for water to recognize its rarity and the enormous benefit it offers.

What to do?

The report urges governments of the world to look at the water cycle as a “global common good” and take collective action to preserve it. Nations are interconnected-not because of rivers and lakes shared between them, but due to the transportation of water vapor over thousands of miles across borders.

In keeping with the report, five “missions” were recommended in overcoming the crisis of water:

1. Revolutionize Food Systems: Increase efficiency in agriculture where water usage is concerned and move away from water-intensive crops.
2. Save Natural Habitat: Protection and restoration of forests, wetlands, and other essential ecosystems in the water cycle.
3. Water Circular Economy: Reuse water from wastewater and reduce loss in supply networks.
4. Clean Energy and Low Water-use AI: Develop technologies to minimize impacts on the natural water cycle.
5. Universal Access to Clean Water: Safely managed drinking water and sanitation should be ensured for all by 2030.

These missions are holistic, cross-sectoral, and involve governments, businesses, and civil society. According to the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, investment in innovation, research, and development is key to creating a truly sustainable, resilient solution.

We will have to think radically about how we are going to preserve freshwater sources, use water much more efficiently, and provide access to available freshwater for every community, including the most vulnerable, said Tharman Shanmugaratnam, co-chair of the commission.

Source: Northwestern University