According to NASA, the summer of 2023 was the hottest on Earth since record-keeping began in 1880.[1] As temperatures continue to rise, increased evaporation and changing patterns of precipitation, ranging from prolonged drought to bursts of severe precipitation, highlight the changing water cycle and the risk to global water scarcity. Already difficult to navigate, population and economic growth strain already insufficient water supplies and significantly contribute to global water stress.

A recent analysis of water scarcity across the globe conducted by the World Resources Institute (WRI) found that 25 countries – encompassing approximately one-fourth of the global population – experience extremely high water stress annually, defined as consuming more than 80% of their available water supply “for irrigation, livestock, industry and domestic needs.”[2] Further, the research indicates that four billion people – half the world’s population – experience high levels of water stress at least one month each year.[3]  

As a country, the U.S. was not identified as having extremely high water stress; however, the analysis showed that if the Colorado Basin states were a country, it would rank toward the top of the list. Nationally, six out of the seven basin states were found to be within the top ten states facing extremely high water stress, and the seventh state, Utah, came in at number 13.[4]  

In the U.S. and in other more affluent countries, strides have been made in water-efficient practices and technologies, such as recycling and reuse, that have contributed to a plateau in demand. However, lower- and middle-income countries have not experienced such a leveling, and globally, water demand is expected to continue to swell. Without management efforts to alter this trajectory, shortages will threaten global economic growth, energy production, political stability, and food security.

[1] “NASA Announces Summer 2023 Hottest on Record.” NASA, NASA, 25 Oct. 2023, www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-announces-summer-2023-hottest-on-record/.

[2] Kuzma, Samantha, et al. “25 Countries, Housing One-Quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress.” World Resources Institute, 16 Aug. 2023, www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries.

[3] Kuzma, Samantha, et al. “25 Countries, Housing One-Quarter of the Population, Face Extremely High Water Stress.” World Resources Institute, 16 Aug. 2023, www.wri.org/insights/highest-water-stressed-countries.

[4] James, Ian. “Colorado River Basin Ranks among the World’s Most Water-Stressed Regions, Analysis Finds.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2023, www.latimes.com/environment/story/2023-08-16/states-face-high-water-stress-along-colorado-river.