ONU declara la 'bancarrota hídrica global': 400 millones de personas, al borde de la escasez
El concepto tradicional de estrés hídrico o crisis del agua ya no refleja la magnitud del problema relacionado con las escasez del líquido Foto: iStock
TL;DR
- The world is entering an era of global water bankruptcy, defined as persistent over-extraction of water beyond renewable resources.
- Many critical water systems are already bankrupt, unable to recover historical levels, posing an irreversible, planetary problem.
- 70% of major aquifers show long-term decline, over 410 million hectares of wetlands have been lost, and 30% of global glacier mass has reduced since 1970.
- Water bankruptcy disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, with 4 billion people facing severe water scarcity at least one month a year.
- Economic impacts include annual losses of $307 billion from droughts and over $5.1 trillion from wetland ecosystem service loss.
- The report calls for governments to shift from crisis management to water bankruptcy management, rebalancing water rights and demands.
- Water bankruptcy is a justice issue with social and political repercussions, requiring international cooperation and political will.