1. Water Scarcity Water scarcity occurs when demand exceeds supply due to natural causes, population growth or widespread practices that consume excessive amounts of water. 2. Lack of Accessibility Tremendous development has already taken place to provide access to clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities around the world. However, more than 1.2 billion people still lack access to clean drinking water while 2.9 billion lack access to adequate sanitation facilities, 3. Water Quality Deterioration Industrialization and urbanization have produced large volumes of effluent wastewater, discharged in many cases into waterways that carry freshwater supplies into communities. The impacts of water quality deterioration on human health, devastation of natural habitat and biodiversity has resulted in the volume reduction of usable water, now evident in every corner of the globe. The projected mega-cities and rapid industrialization worldwide have only accelerated problems such as inadequate waste treatment. 4. World Peace and Security The linkages between global peace and security, environmental degradation and water problems are all too evident in many parts of the world, with particular focus in developing countries. 5. Awareness by Decision Makers and the Public Water availability is taken for granted by the public. Similarly, political leaders are largely unaware of the present dimensions of the impending water crises in many countries. Without full public participation, it is impossible to envisage or implement sustainable solutions. Raising public awareness is essential to ensuring public involvement. Such awareness can be achieved through changes in the education system, greater funds into R&D, and the enlisting of support for the civil societies. 6. Decline of Financial Resources Allocation The world witnessed a rapid growth in financial allocations to water development in the 1960s and the 1970s, which was spurred mainly by investment in the irrigation and drinking water supply. However, a steady decline in financial outlay occurred in the latter part of 1980s, and became more pronounced throughout the 1990s. 7. Fragmentation of Water Management At the global level, water management is divided among several United Nations organizations, a multitude of international professional and scientific societies and numerous non-governmental organizations. At national levels the situation is further divided among hundreds or thousands of jurisdictions, municipalities and the private sector; or worse, left unattended.
• source: World Water Forum • See also XlnkS4EF