Water security—having sufficient access to safe water for our daily needs—is at risk. Today, more than 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water at home. By 2025, over half of the world’s population is expected to live in water-stressed areas.
Globally, shifting patterns of water availability, falling groundwater levels, and new extremes—from persistent droughts to regular floods—will threaten human health, our food supply, and the environment.
How will this affect the future of water, and what can be done?
In recognition of World Water Day, The Pew Charitable Trusts and The National Academies on Friday, March 22 held a discussion with three contributors from the latest issue of Pew’s Trend magazine on the future of this valuable, finite resource.
Tom Dillon
Vice president and head of environment, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Jay Famiglietti
Professor and executive director, Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan
Sandra Postel
Director, Global Water Policy Project, and author of Replenish: The Virtuous Cycle of Water and Prosperity
Elizabeth Eide
Director, Water Science and Technology Board, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine