Global action required to avert water crisis.

• Author: Herro, Alana
• Position: EYE ON EARTH

The world's water situation continues to deteriorate, according to two studies released during World Water Week in late August. The first, a comprehensive report from global conservation organization WWF, details how the looming water crisis is now affecting rich countries as well as poor. Global warming, diminishing wetlands, and inadequate resource management are the main causes of expanding water shortages worldwide, according to the group. The second study, issued by the Sri Lanka-based International Water Management Institute (IWMI), concludes that one-third of the human population--mostly in the developing world--is now short of water.

While the studies offer similar suggestions for reducing water scarcity, WWF's analysis presents a range of solutions for wealthier countries that entail significant upfront costs. The IWMI report, in contrast, encourages developing countries to forego expensive schemes in favor of low-cost solutions.

According to WWF, leaks in London's water mains waste as much as 300 Olympic swimming pools of water every day, while parts of Australia and the United States are using far more water than can be replenished naturally. Meanwhile, wetlands worldwide are being lost to development at a staggering rate. Among other proposals, WWF supports repairing aging infrastructure, reducing water subsidies to require the agricultural sector to pay more of the true...