Global Scans · Water · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Global demand for fresh water is expected to outpace sustainable supply by 40% in 2030. Global water demand will climb in tandem with population and economic growth. At least two-thirds of the world's population will face 'water stress' by 2025 and the number of people affected by floods could increase by a factor of three by 2100 bring significant risk of unrest and conflict. The UN Security Council will have to declare water a strategic resource of humanity and adopt a resolution to protect water resources and installations. Organizations will be expected to play their part in conserving water.

• [New] By 2050, the total weight of plastic in the ocean will exceed the weight of fish. Yahoo Finance
• [New] US AI server buildout will require between 731 million and 1.125 billion additional cubic meters of water by 2030, while emitting the equivalent of between 24 and 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. New Scientist
• [New] The interconnected threats of wildfires, drought, extreme heat, and ocean acidification are multiplying, taking a severe toll on forests, oceans, and species globally, underscoring the compounding nature of the climate crisis. Risk Prevention Mitigation and Management Forum
• [New] AI companies are expected to continue investing in the offset mechanisms, including power purchase agreement, carbon removal and water restoration, reaching an unprecedented level of reliance on them to accomplish their net-zero aspirations by 2030. Nature
• [New] The worst practices pose a risk of unachievable net-zero pathways, signifying 71 Mt annual residual carbon emissions and over 5,224 million m3 annual residual water usage by 2030 under the low-demand scenario. Nature
• [New] The AI server industry is unlikely to meet its net-zero aspirations by 2030 without substantial reliance on highly uncertain carbon offset and water restoration mechanisms. / USA Nature
• [New] The deployment of AI servers across the United States could generate an annual water footprint ranging from 731 to 1,125 million m3 and additional annual carbon emissions from 24 to 44 Mt CO2-equivalent between 2024 and 2030, depending on the scale of expansion. Nature
• [New] Semiconductor manufacturing is water - and energy-intensive; ensuring sustainability standards align with global investors' expectations will be critical. Dynamic Global Insights
• [New] Vanishing snow threatens not only winter recreation but also water security for millions who rely on glacial melt across South Asia. Eco-business
• [New] Water levels on the Mississippi River will likely continue to fall this week. DTN Progressive Farmer
• [New] Continued high atmospheric CO2 levels are driving accelerated ocean acidification, which severely damages marine ecosystems and contributes to coral bleaching, threatening food security and coastal protection globally. Risk Prevention Mitigation and Management Forum
• [New] If a future Coalition government were to remain in Paris but water down Australia's existing pledges - including the target of net zero by 2050 - it would breach the pact, which dictates countries can not go backwards on targets. The Guardian
• [New] The head of Iran's National Centre for Climate and Drought Crisis Management, Ahmad Vazifeh, has warned that, apart from Tehran, dams in many other provinces - including West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan and Markazi - are also in a worrying state, with water levels in the single-digit percentages. BBC News
• [New] If there is not enough rainfall soon, Tehran's water supply could be rationed. BBC News
• [New] Another example of water conflict is the dam that Ethiopia is building on the Nile River, which is causing great concern and reaction from Egypt and Sudan that see a risk for their water supply abilities for the future. The Food Futurist - Anticipate, Adapt, Succeed
• [New] 66% of the global population will not have enough access to clean water by 2100. Yahoo News
• [New] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in a speech broadcast that the capital Tehran may need evacuating because of water shortages if it does not rain before the end of the year. RNZ
• [New] Without faster permitting, innovation-ready designs, and congressional reauthorization of SRF funding beyond 2026, the clean-water gap could surpass $800 billion, threatening compliance, modernization, and public health. EFCG
• [New] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a dire warning that the Iranian capital could soon face catastrophic water shortages and even evacuation if rain does not fall soon. Newsweek
• [New] In Tehran, the majority of dams supplying drinking water are empty, with President Masoud Pezeshkain warning that water rationing and evacuations could become a possibility in the coming months. Forbes
• [New] With water scarcity worsening in Europe, investors are looking at food tech solutions, such as utilising wastewater side streams, as well as exploring which technologies could be used to enable a more water-scarce mindset. FoodNavigator.com
• Reuse investment for irrigation applications - ranging from crop watering and urban landscaping to municipal green spaces - is still projected to account for nearly half of capital expenditure over the next decade. Water Finance & Management
• The City of Corpus Cristi expects to be unable to meet industrial and residential demands for water within the next 18 months. Railway Age

Last updated: 15 November 2025