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Water is needed for drinking, cleaning and food production,
As a regional resource, shortage might occur, which resolves from drought, overuse or unsound methods of agriculture respectively freshwater management.Affected people and foundations of life: More than 1.2 billion people live in areas of physical water scarcity, lacking enough water for everyone's demands regarding food production, health and development (
2007, 10; 2007, 135). This applies especially to North Africa and the Middle East. Mankind uses more than half of global freshwater resources ( 1998, 98). Roughly 70% are used for agriculture ( 2008, 232). Between 5% and 25% of global freshwater usage likely exceeds long-term accessible supply ( regeneration rate of ground water; 2005, 106 ). This also raises the risk of conflicts.Targets/goals: to stop the unsustainable exploitation of water resources by developing water management strategies at the regional, national and local levels, which promote both equitable access and adequate supplies
(Millennium Summit: 2000, § 23 [4]).
Trend: − It is expected that by 2025, 3.5 billion people will live in water scarce or water stressed areas ( 2007, 2). Water quality, on global average, is declining, too (MA 2005, 43).
Measures: The Global Water Partnership, initiated by the UN, supports countries in their sustainable management of water resources (GWPforum.org).
Annotations: For numeric names the short scale is used:
1 billion = one thousand million = 109 = 1 000 000 000
Sources
Draft (2008)
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Photo credit: © UNCCD /Mounir Bencharif