Global water bankruptcy has begun, UN report says

A UN flagship report says many regions have moved beyond temporary water crises into a state of 'global water bankruptcy', where systems are depleted beyond historical baselines; the report notes about four billion people face severe water scarcity for at least one month each year.

UN researchers released a flagship report saying the world has moved beyond a water crisis into a state of 'global water bankruptcy'. The report says many water systems can no longer realistically return to historical baselines. It highlights widespread losses of lakes and wetlands and large numbers of people experiencing seasonal scarcity. Officials described the condition as involving both insolvency and irreversibility. Key findings: - The report is reported as identifying a shift from episodic crises to widespread 'water bankruptcy' across many regions. - 'Water bankruptcy' is defined in the report as a combination of insolvency (withdrawal and pollution beyond renewable inflows and safe limits) and irreversibility (losses to wetlands, lakes and other natural capital that cannot be restored to previous states). - The report states nearly three-quarters of the world live in countries classified as water-insecure or critically water-insecure, and around four billion people face severe water scarcity for at least one month each year. - The authors call for a transition from crisis response to structured "bankruptcy management," described as stopping acute loss, protecting essential services, restructuring unsustainable claims, and investing in rebuilding. Summary: The report signals a long-term alteration of the global water risk landscape, with ecological losses and widespread seasonal shortages reported as already affecting billions. The next step described by the authors is a shift toward bankruptcy-style management of water systems and investment in recovery measures.