Global Scans · Water · Weekly Summary

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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.

• Nitrogen pollution might turn a number of sub-basins in South China, Central Europe, North America, and Africa into hotspots for water scarcity. Prensa Latina
• Supply-chain pressures could bring challenges, given the recent droughts affecting the Panama Canal, the impact of El Nino weather patterns and attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. Fixed Income News Australia
• The UN's climate science panel has said that around half the world's population currently faces severe water scarcity for at least a month a year and warned that global warming impacts and rising demand are key risks to global supply. phys.org
• The total water availability in Central America, Europe, Oceania and South America is projected to decrease by up to 4% during 2010-2050. Nature
• Nitrogen pollution in rivers is an important cause of water scarcity in 2010 and will likely continue causing water scarcity in 2050. Nature
• The water scarcity issues will remain severe in other continents, particularly in Asia, Central America, Europe, and North America. Nature
• Africa is projected to have large increases in water scarcity, mainly caused by severe water pollution. Nature
• The cessation of long-term shipping agreements by ocean carriers on the Asia-Europe route, due to the war risk in Red Sea transit, underscores the vulnerability of global supply chains to geopolitical tensions. MultiModal UK
• With global water demand expected to rise significantly in coming years as we tackle food security challenges, water scarcity will intensify, increasing the need for the development and deployment of intelligent and sustainable water technologies. CIAC | CCEA
• Climate change and a strong El Nino event could both play a role in the intensity of impacts that atmospheric rivers bring when they hit the West Coast. ABC News
• A dietary staple for over half of the world's population, it's confronting new climate threats, including changes in temperature, water availability and extreme weather events. SupplyChainBrain
• Vessel restrictions at the Panama Canal due to a drought are causing more VLGCs leaving from the United States to head east toward either the Suez Canal or the Cape of Good Hope. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• The El Nino weather system has caused droughts and hotter-than-usual temperatures along the west of South America in 2024, increasing the risk of forest fires. Sky News
• More than 27,200 people have died in Gaza, and the United Nations has warned of the risk of famine as Gaza residents lack food, water and medicine. Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle
• Ongoing threats to vessels transiting in the Suez Canal and the severe drought conditions in the Panama Canal, continue to significantly impact global ocean freight transit times and costs. Global Logistics Freight & Delivery Experts | SEKO Logi
• The world faces two concurrent crises in nature - climate change and loss of biodiversity with both threatening the availability of food and water whilst also endangering global supply chains. The Scottish Farmer
• Over the past two months, the El Nino weather pattern has caused droughts and high temperatures in western South America that have also increased the risk of forest fires. NPR
• In recent months, drought has increased shipping costs and threatened global trade because there is not enough water in the Panama Canal. New Statesman
• The volatility of the Red Sea situation and the ongoing disruptions, plus the Panama drought significantly reducing Panama Canal shipments, will further affect container shipping and the global supply chain as a whole. Expense Reduction Analysts
• Catalonia, a Spanish region struggling with severe drought conditions exacerbated by climate change, plans to become independent of rain by 2030 through a $2.6 billion investment in desalination plants and water infrastructure. Covering Climate Now
• Latin America is forecasting a higher than normal El Nino phenomenon and could see drought conditions affecting the productivity of the Hydroelectric plants. Alesco Risk Management Services
• One-quarter of the world's population is already affected by droughts, with every three out of four people around the world projected to face water scarcity by 2050. UNCCD
• We continue to believe that BHP's major opportunity is growing copper production in Chile at Escondida and Spence, and growing copper production and capturing synergies in South Australia between Olympic Dam and the previous OZL assets. The Motley Fool Australia

Last updated: 10 February 2024