For a long time, Europeans did not notice the growing threat of the possible lack of food or water. We lived in the belief that since the shelves in stores were full of food and clean, hot and cold water flowed from the taps, it would always be like that. But new data shows how this is starting to change. According to a survey conducted by Statista Consumer Insights, as many as every fourth respondent in France said that food security and water will be one of the greatest challenges facing their country. This percentage was similarly high in the UK (24%), Spain (24%) and Italy (23%). The well-fed North begins to notice that its current lifestyle is beginning to be threatened.
Poland is among the countries most at risk of water stress
Water is not only the basis of animal and plant life, but in the coming decades it is likely to become an almost invaluable resource in some parts of the world. According to UN data, global water shortage i.e. the ratio of water withdrawn for industrial, agricultural or domestic use to available water, in 2020 it was 18.2 percent. However, already in 2022, 2.4 billion people lived in areas that, in some cases, are exposed to extreme water stressi.e. its serious deficiency.
It is impossible to say exactly how high this number will be by 2050 due to many factors such as demographic changes in the world or economic development and political in emerging and transition countries. That's why scientists are currently working on different scenarios rather than very precise estimates. However, it is certain that water demand will continue to grow and that many countries already use more than they have.
As shown by an infographic prepared by the Statista.com team based on forecasts of the World Resources Institute (WRI), it is expected that by 2050, 51 of the 164 analyzed countries and territories, inhabited by 31 percent. humanity will suffer from high or extremely high water scarcity. According to WRI, the scenario used corresponds to a future in which temperatures will increase from 2.8 to 4.6 degrees Celsius by 2100.
Where in the world will water stress be the highest by 2050 / statista.com
Except the whole thing Arabian PeninsulaIran and India, most North African countries, such as Algeria, Egypt and Libya, are among the countries that are estimated to have problems with access to drinking water already in 2050.
However, water scarcity is not limited to developing countries. According to reports Southern European countriessuch as Portugal, Spain and Italy, are also already experiencing high water scarcity, and the situation in Spain will worsen significantly by 2050. In the case of France and Polish WRI experts assume that water shortages will be at medium to high levels, corresponding to a consumption rate of 20 to 40 percent of available resources.
