The New York Times took a look today at a recently released United Nations report that says the scarcity of water could cause serious problems throughout the world in the next 50 years.

We’re among the two billion to whom the NYT refers in the story. San Diegans rely heavily on the over-allocated Colorado River. According to the Times:

More than two billion people already live in regions facing a scarcity of water, and unless the world changes its ways over the next 50 years, the amount of water needed for a rapidly growing population will double, scientists warned in a study released yesterday.

At the worst, a deepening water crisis would fuel violent conflicts, dry up rivers and increase groundwater pollution, their report says. It would also force the rural poor to clear ever more grasslands and forests to grow food and leave many more people hungry.

The title of the report (Water for Good, Water for Life: Insights from the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture) strangely hearkens to sink faucet company Moen Inc.’s motto (Buy it for Looks, Buy it for Life).

Read the full story here.

ROB DAVIS

Leave a comment

We expect all commenters to be constructive and civil. We reserve the right to delete comments without explanation. You are welcome to flag comments to us. You are welcome to submit an opinion piece for our editors to review.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.