The report says that while England and other prosperous areas of the world will cope with falling water supplies due to efficient water management, poorer countries will suffer on a massive scale - making it harder for them to escape poverty. Two-thirds of China's cities are facing severe water shortages. Urgently investing in water supply sanitation and water resources, ensuring that the basic needs of poor and vulnerable communities are met before the luxury needs of the better off.
Water is a basic human right.
Without it societies wither and people die. It is crucial that the international community pulls together so that every human being has access to a clean sustainable water supply. At the heart of the crisis lies a threat to food production in many parts of the world. But the amount of available water is declining. Poorer countries will face difficult choices between dedicating water to crop irrigation or domestic and industrial use.