Population Growth, Climate Change Sparking Water Crisis: UN

Surging population growth, climate change, reckless irrigation and chronic waste are placing the world's water supplies at threat, a landmark UN report said on Thursday. The world population is projected to exceed nine billion in 2050, up from 6.8 billion this year and seven billion early in 2012, according to UN estimates released on Wednesday.

Most of the additional 2.3 billion people will swell the population of the developing world, estimated to soar from 5.6 billion this year to 7.9 billion in 2050, and to spread among the 15-59 age group (1.2 billion) and those 60 or over (1.1 billion), the data showed.

Compiled by 24 UN agencies, the World Water Development Report gave a grim assessment of the state of the planet's freshwater, especially in developing countries. Lack of access to water helps drive poverty and deprivation and breeds the potential for unrest and conflict, it warned.

Population growth is driving explosive demand for water, prompting rivers in thirsty countries to be tapped for nearly every drop and driving governments to pump out so-called fossil water, the report said. Fuelling this is misuse or abuse of water, through pollution, unbridled irrigation, pipe leakage and growing of water-craving crops in deserts.

Applying pressure from the other side is climate change, said the report. Shifts to weather systems, unleashed by man-made global warming, will alter rainfall patterns and reduce snow melt, scientists say.

The 2008 Revision of the official UN populations projections forecast minimal change in the population of the more developed nations, which should rise from 1.23 billion to 1.28 billion during the same period.