Losses of Water Capital
The authors of the study emphasize that terms such as "water stress" and "water crisis" can no longer adequately describe the situation in several regions."This report presents an inconvenient truth: many regions are exceeding their hydrological capacities, and numerous key water systems have already gone bankrupt," quotes Kaveh Madani, Director of the Institute for Water, Environment, and Health at the United Nations University, as reported by the UN News Service.
The report notes that states have not only utilized their water resources, such as rivers, groundwater, and snow reserves, but have also depleted long-term water sources, such as glaciers and wetlands.
This has led to a number of serious consequences: land subsidence in river deltas and coastal regions, the disappearance of lakes and wetlands, as well as irreversible loss of biodiversity.
International Cooperation and Water Conference
The report was presented ahead of a high-level meeting in Dakar, Senegal, scheduled for January 26-27, which will focus on preparations for the UN Water Conference planned for December 2-4, 2026, in the United Arab Emirates.Although not all river basins and countries are facing water bankruptcy, Madani noted that many critically important water systems have already reached this threshold.
"These systems are interconnected through trade, migration, climate feedbacks, and geopolitical dependencies, so the global risk has now changed dramatically," he added, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation.
Figures on Water Bankruptcy
Based on global data and recent scientific studies, the report paints a troubling picture of trends, most of which are driven by human activity:- Since the early 1990s, 50% of large lakes have lost significant volumes of water;
- In the last 50 years, the area of lost natural wetlands has amounted to 410 million hectares (comparable to the territory of the European Union);
- Since 1970, more than 30% of the global glacier mass has been lost, and entire mountain systems in low and mid-latitudes may completely lose functional glaciers in the coming decades;
- During certain periods of the year, dozens of major rivers do not reach the sea;
- 4 billion people face acute water shortages for at least one month each year;
- 3 billion people live in regions where water supplies are declining, and in these same places, more than 50% of the world's food is produced;
- 1.8 billion people experienced drought in 2022-2023.
A New Reality for a New Era
"Agriculture requires an overwhelming share of freshwater, and food systems are closely linked through trade and prices," explained Madani."When water shortages undermine agriculture in one region, it reflects on global markets, political stability, and food security in others," he added.
Call for Renewal of the Global Water Agenda
The report emphasizes that water bankruptcy is not just a hydrological issue, but also a matter of justice with profound social and political implications, requiring attention at the highest levels and multilateral cooperation."We cannot bring back lost glaciers... But we can prevent further loss of remaining natural resources and adapt institutions to new conditions," noted Madani.Future events, including the 2026 UN Water Conference, open opportunities for implementing this agenda.
"By acknowledging the reality of water bankruptcy, we can finally make difficult decisions that will protect people, the economy, and ecosystems. The longer we delay, the deeper the shortage [of water] will become," concluded Madani.
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