Global Scans · Clean Water and Sanitation · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 6. Ensure availability of water and sanitation for all.

• [New] Without rapid reforms, water scarcity could trigger mass displacement, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions. UN warns of "Global Water Bankruptcy" as demand surges
• [New] Up to 2 billion people already lack reliable access to safe water and that current global water use is on track to exceed renewable supplies by 40% by 2030. UN warns of "Global Water Bankruptcy" as demand surges
• [New] By 2050, one-third to nearly half of the global urban population is projected to face water scarcity, with one-quarter living in India. EurekAlert!
• [New] By 2050, up to half the world's urban population will face water scarcity. EurekAlert!
• [New] Climate change could mean less water for Los Angeles, which currently gets the majority of its supply from Northern California and the Colorado River. PRX - Public Radio Exchange
• [New] Russia will shift its long-range missile and drone strikes target set to include Ukrainian logistics and water infrastructure going into Spring 2026. Critical Threats
• [New] By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40% global water deficit under the business-as-usual climate scenario. InternationalDayForests
• [New] By 2050, an extra 2.3 billion people are projected to be living in river basins under severe water stress, especially in North and South Africa, and South and Central Asia. InternationalDayForests
• [New] Under baseline assumptions, data center water use within the WMA is projected to increase to approximately 22 MGD on average and over 80 MGD at peak by 2050. ICPRB
• [New] Technological innovation could reduce the water intensity of data center cooling in coming years, though the pace and scale of adoption remain uncertain. ICPRB
• [New] With multiple policies working together, every resident in Pune could receive at least 40 liters of water per day. earth.com
• [New] Water used for data-centre cooling will triple by 2050 as AI adoption accelerates. FirstPost
• [New] AI's water usage is set to grow by about 130%, or by about 30 trillion liters (7.9 trillion gallons) of water through 2050. Fortune
• [New] The mechanism through 2035 will be increasingly driven by regulatory pressure for emission control and waste minimization, coupled with the economic incentive to recover and reuse raw materials and water. IndexBox Inc.
• [New] Looking to 2035, key indicators will be production volumes of premium products (plant-based proteins, functional beverages), stringent food safety standards, and sustainability targets for water and waste. IndexBox Inc.
• [New] The project, which includes a $112 million co-investment from the Government of Mongolia, will increase Ulaanbaatar's clean water supply by up to 80%, directly addressing a chronic crisis driven by explosive rural-to-urban migration in the Mongolian capital. The Diplomat
• [New] From 2000 to 2030, the urban populations of Africa and Asia are expected to double, sharply increasing demand for a reliable water supply in cities. Bayelsa Watch
• [New] As a result, water utilities serving 67 million customers across the U.S. are at high risk from climate hazards, roughly a fifth of the entire U.S. population. ABC News
• [New] Public water supplies will be short of 5 billion liters of water a day by 2055 with an additional 1 billion liters of water needed in the wider economy. Blue Patch
• [New] Several significant investment projects will be highlighted, including desalination for mining expansion programs in Chile, the Northern Chile Water Supply Corridor integrating multi-user desalination pipelines, and Peru's Coastal Desalination PPPs for Lima, Ilo, and southern industrial clusters. MEXC
• [New] By 2030, Ecolab aims to help conserve 300 billion gallons of water per year, while protecting local watersheds and strengthening community water resilience. Boston College

Last updated: 15 March 2026