Agence France Presse reports, “More than one billion urban residents will face serious water shortages by 2050 as climate change worsens effects of urbanization, with Indian cities among the worst hit, a study (published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) said Monday. …The study found that under current urbanization trends, by mid-century some 993 million city dwellers will live with less than 100 liters (26 gallons) each day of water each — roughly the amount that fills a personal bathtub — which authors considered the daily minimum. Adding on the impact of climate change, an additional 100 million people will lack what they need for drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing and toilet use.”
“India’s six biggest cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad — are among those most affected by water shortages. The study forecast that 119 million people would face water shortages in 2050 in the Ganges River delta and plain alone. …West Africa, which sees some of the world’s heaviest rainfall, will also face water shortages in cities such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Cotonou in Benin, the study found. …Other cities forecast by the study to face a water crunch include Manila, Beijing, Lahore and Tehran.” Xinhua adds, “Topping the list for Latin America are Mexico City and Caracas, and Asia’s most troubled cities include Beijing, New Delhi, Mumbai, Shenyang, Manila, Bangalore and Calcutta, while Lagos, Abidjan and Johannesburg are facing the biggest challenge in Africa, according to the study.”
“The study said there would be a need for international funding to help poorer nations ‘to ensure that urban residents can enjoy their fundamental right to adequate drinking water.'”
The AFP article is at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110328/wl_asia_afp/environmentclimatewarmingwaterpopulationindia.
