Madani emphasizes in his report that the situation has reached a critical point, and freshwater resources can no longer be replenished. "The irreversibility of this process means that we have destroyed vital natural reserves necessary for life," he says.
Since the early 1990s, water levels in most large lakes have significantly decreased, and dozens of rivers have stopped flowing into seas during certain seasons. Additionally, about a third of glacier mass has been lost since the 1970s. Madani highlights that 70% of freshwater reserves are used in agriculture, and the shortage of resources is becoming increasingly acute, especially in Asia, where farmers are engaged in exports. Water scarcity issues also affect the Middle East and North Africa.
In this regard, the UN calls on developed countries of the "global North" to assist these regions, emphasizing that "water bankruptcy" is a problem of global scale. Currently, about 4 billion people are already experiencing severe water shortages. Madani adds that global warming only exacerbates existing problems.
