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] Green Certification and ESG Attention: Smart energy water and waste homes will be more likely to match the Dubai green building objectives and attract ESG-sensitive investors. TopLuxuryProperty.com
• [New] Driven by growing demand for space, water and industrial heating, China plans to further accelerate deployment of heat pumps with new policy initiatives. IEA
• [New] Future water scarcity is expected to increase up to fourfold in most parts of the Pearl Basin by 2050, driven by changes in both water quantity and quality. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Repurposing fishing subsidies from just 10 countries could fully fund global ocean protection efforts. Campaign for Nature
• [New] Global marine protection efforts are critically underfunded - threatening ocean health, livelihoods, food security and global prosperity. Campaign for Nature
• [New] 23% of all global deaths relate to the environment and there is evidence of how disturbances in the global environment affect global health due to disruptions of the climate system, scarcity of clean water, loss of biodiversity, land degradation, deforestation, etc. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Precipitation and temperature related to La Nina, combined with the La Nina forecast and current drought conditions, suggest drought persistence in the Southwest United States and drought improvement in the Pacific Northwest into Spring 2026. Drought.gov
• [New] Water infrastructure investments are projected to exceed $114 billion globally by 2030, driven by climate adaptation needs. Ainvest
• [New] Water companies have committed to reducing leakage by 16% between 2020-2025, with an ambitious target of 50% reduction by 2050. Lucion Group
• Groundwater will become the most important natural resource in the world's drying regions. Dictionary.com
• Global demand for water is projected to rise by 20 to 30% by 2050, while droughts have already surged in frequency by nearly a third since 2000. The National
• With global water demand projected to surge in the coming decades, experts stressed the importance of leveraging advanced technologies, promoting regional cooperation, and investing in research to ensure sustainability. The National

Last updated: 13 September 2025