Water scarcity and water stress are both freshwater problems that generally involve there being inadequate internal fresh water resources to meet demand for those resources (within a city or town).
Different countries, cities and regions experience different levels of water stress (from low to high water stress), and some may experience water scarcity.
In the guide below, we list some of the the most water stressed and water scarce countries and cities in the world right now.
We also look what the forecasts for future water stress and scarcity might be.
Summary – Most Water Stress & Water Scarce Countries & Cities
Definitions Of Water Stress & Water Scarcity, & The Difference Between Them
Most Water Stressed Regions & Countries In The World
According to several reports, The Middle East is the most water stressed region in the world, with many of the most water stressed countries in the world being Middle Eastern countries
We list some of these countries in the guide below
China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa are also listed by some reports as being some of the more water stressed countries and regions in the world after the Middle East
Several organisations provide ‘water stress level’ rankings where the water stress levels for every region of every country in the world can be seen on an annual basis
How Many Countries Are Currently Water Stressed?
There may currently be just over 50 countries that experience water stress levels between 25% and 70%, and around 15 countries that experience over 70% water stress
Having said that, the global average water stress might only be around 13% according to one report
So, there might be a disparity between countries
One estimate also indicates that half the world’s largest cities might be water stressed
How Many People In The World Experience Water Stress?
One third might experience high levels of water stress, and one quarter extremely high water stress
So, over a billion people might be experiencing some form of water stress that impact either drinking water or non potable water supply levels
Examples Of Countries With Low Water Stress
One report gives the US and South Africa as examples of countries with low average water stress levels
Water Stress In The US
Water stress specifically in the US might be ranked as low to medium, but, it can differ between the different States
Most Water Scarce Cities & Countries In The World
The most water scarce cities and countries might be those that rate high, extremely high or extreme in terms of their water stress levels
There’s different resources that provide these ratings
One reports lists Chennai, Cape Town and Rome as some of the most water scarce cities in the world
How Many People In The World Might Experience Water Scarcity?
Over 2 billion might experience seasonal water scarcity throughout the year, and half a billion might experience full time water scarcity
Potential Causes Of Water Stress Or Water Scarcity Within A Region Or Country
We list some of the main causes for water scarcity and water stress in this guide, and also this one.
Water Stress & Water Scarcity Can Vary Within Countries, & Can Change Over Time
It’s important to note two things about water stress and water scarcity:
– They Can Vary Between Regions Within A Country
It’s possible for water stress levels to differ between different regions or States within one country.
So, the average water stress of an entire country is only one indicator of water stress
Water stress levels of individual regions within a country are another
– They Can Vary Over Time
Regions can go from being very water stressed to only moderately water stressed over time, and vice versa
Water stress and water scarcity levels can change as different variables change
As examples, Cape Town and Perth are both cities that have moved between different levels of water stress and water scarcity over time
Has Water Stress Increased Or Decreased Over Time?
For some countries it’s increased, and for other countries it’s decreased.
Reasons for these increases and decreases, and some countries that are impacted by increases or decreases are given in the guide below
Is Water Stress & Water Scarcity Expected To Increase Or Decrease In The Future?
Water demand is expected to outpace supply through to 2030
Whether this leads to increased water stress or water scarcity depends on water management strategies
Water Stress & Water Scarcity Forecasts For The Future
Water stress or scarcity is expected to increase in some countries in the future, whilst it’s expected to decrease in others
Over 30 countries could face extremely high water stress by 2040, with a notable number of those countries based in the Middle East
One report outlines Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, San Marino and Singapore as some of the top water stressed countries in the future by 2040
In the guide below, we also provide lists of countries and cities that may be at risk of water stress and water scarcity related issues in the future
How Many People Might Experience Water Stress In The Future?
It could be up to half the world’s population by the year 2050
How Many People Might Experience Water Scarcity In The Future?
Over 3 billion could experience water scarcity, however, specific regions within specific countries could experience water shortages too
Solutions Aimed At Addressing Water Stress & Scarcity
There might be a numbers of individual sustainable water management solutions to explore in the future, and overall sustainable water management strategies that decision makers might consider.
For some countries, technology like desalination and water recycling can help to augment natural water supplies if they can afford this technology.
Potable Water vs Non Potable Water
It should be noted that there is a difference between potable fresh water for drinking, and non potable fresh water.
Cities and countries can have secure drinking water resources, but may be facing non potable water stress and/or scarcity.
So, this is something that needs to be clarified when dealing with water stress and scarcity
Water Stress & Water Scarcity, & How It Impacts ‘Green Cities’
It’s worth noting that the freshwater scarcity and stress of a city is one of the factors that contributes to how sustainable or green a city is.
Firstly What Is Water Stress, & What Is Water Scarcity?
We’ve provided definitions of both water stress and water scarcity in this guide
Most Water Stressed Countries, Cities & Regions In The World
The Middle East is currently one of the most water stressed regions of the world, with Qatar, Lebanon, Israel, Iran and Jordan being amongst some of the most water stressed countries in the world according to some recent reports
After the Middle East, various reports indicates that China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa are also some of the most water stressed countries and regions in the world
Most Water Stressed Countries
As of 2020, the top 50 most water stressed countries in the world (from 1 at the top, to 50 at the bottom of the list), according to WRI’s Aqueduct country rankings, are:
1. Qatar
2. Lebanon
3. Israel
Iran
Jordan
Libya
Kuwait
Saudi Arabia
Eritrea
UAE
San Marino
Bahrain
India
Pakistan
Oman
Turkmenistan
Botswana
Chile
Yemen
Cyprus
Andorra
Belgium
Morocco
Mexico
Uzbekistan
Greece
Afghanistan
Spain
Algeria
Tunisia
Syria
Turkey
Albania
Armenia
Burkina Faso
Djibouti
Namibia
Kyrgyzstan
Niger
Nepal
Portugal
Iraq
Egypt
Italy
Thailand
Azerbaijan
Sudan
48. South Africa
49. Luxembourg
50. Australia
See the full rankings for water stressed countries here (wri.org)
There’s also a set of 164 countries and an overall National Water Stress Rankings List, organised by different levels of water stress available here (wri.org)
From wikipedia.org: ‘Water stress is ever intensifying in regions such as China, India, and Sub-Saharan Africa, which contains the largest number of water stressed countries of any region with almost one fourth of the population living in a water stressed country’
Most Water Stressed Regions
According to wri.org, as of 2020: ’12 out of … 17 countries [experiencing ‘extremely high’ levels of water stress] are found in The Middle East and North Africa, which are also the most water stressed regions on Earth’
From wikipedia.org: The world’s most water stressed region is the Middle East with averages of 1,200 cubic metres of water per person.
[Most of the people affected by water stress in the world] are living in developing countries (wikipedia.org)
How Many Countries & Cities In The World Are Classified As Water Stressed?
Water stress can be measured in several ways with % water stress ratio levels, and cubic metres of water per person being common ways
The global average water stress might be reasonably low at around 13% global average water stress, however, over 50 countries might experience between 25% to over 70% water stress
15 more might experience extreme water stress over 70%
One estimate indicates that half the world’s largest cities might be water stressed
Global Average For Countries
… the global average water stress is only 13 per cent [total withdrawal vs available water resources] (unwater.org (via their PDF document))
Countries Experiencing 25% To 70% Water Stress
… 32 countries experience water stress between 25 per cent (when stress begins) and 70 per cent unwater.org (via their PDF document)
Countries Above 70% Water Stress
… 22 countries are above 70 per cent and considered seriously stressed (unwater.org (via their PDF document))
Countries Above 100% Water Stress
From (unwater.org (via their PDF document)):
… in 15 countries, this figure rises to above 100 per cent, and of these, four have water stress above 1,000 per cent (unwater.org (via their PDF document))
The four countries are Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where the demand for water is largely being met by desalination
How Many Countries Are Classified As High & Very High Water Water Stress
According to wri.org, as of 2020:
Around 44 countries … are experiencing ‘high’ levels of water stress
… around 17 countries in the world … are experiencing ‘extremely high’ levels of water stress
– wri.org
Cities That Are Water Stressed
Half of the world’s largest cities experience water scarcity (wikipedia.org)
How Many People Globally Are Living In Water Stressed Regions?
Just over 1 billion people worldwide are living in water stressed regions
However, other reports say that one third of the world’s population experience high levels of water stress, and a quarter experience ‘extremely high’ levels of water stress
From wikipedia.org:
More than one in every six people [about 1.1 billion people] in the world is water stressed, meaning that they do not have sufficient access to potable [drinking] water.
[In China alone, over 500 million people are …] living in a water-stressed region.
According to wri.org, as of 2020:
Around 44 countries [contain] roughly one third of the world’s population, [and] are experiencing ‘high’ levels of water stress
… [17 countries that contain] roughly one quarter of the world’s population [i.e. about 1.7 billion people, are] experiencing ‘extremely high’ levels of water stress
[Specifically with India -] ‘India ranks 13th for overall water stress and has more than three times the population of the other 17 extremely highly stressed countries combined [and their surface water and ground water resources are overdrawn for irrigation in agriculture]’
Examples Of Countries With Low Water Stress
The US and South Africa might be examples of countries with low average water stress levels
According to wri.org, as of 2020: ‘[The United States and South Africa are example of countries with low water stress]
Water Stress In The United States
Overall, the US might have low to medium water stress, but, different States in the US have different levels of water stress.
Average Water Stress
On average, the United States has low to medium water stress, but it differs from state to state (wri.org).
Water Stress Differs Between States
[Even though the United States is a country with low water stress, it has had pockets of the country experiencing extreme water stress, such as New Mexico. So, this shows that regions of countries can experience water stress differently than other parts.] (wri.org)
You can view a map here of the different US states and their level of water stress here (wri.org)
Water Stress Differs Between Regions Within A Country
Countries may have a country average for water stress across the country, however, different regions within a country can experience different levels of water stress, and this can also change over time.
The US and South Africa might be two examples of this
According to wri.org, as of 2020: ‘[Even though the United States and South Africa are countries with low water stress, they have pockets of the country experiencing extreme water stress – such as the Western Cape, and New Mexico]
Which Cities & Countries Are The Most Water Scarce?
Two ways to identify cities and countries that are the most water scarce might be:
– By going by reports that specifically list water scarce cities and countries
Some of the individual cities that have recently experienced water scarcity and different categories of water shortages according to wri.org are:
Chennai, India
Cape Town, South Africa
Rome, Italy
– By looking at reports that list the most water stressed cities or countries, and looking at the cities and countries that are over the % threshold for what constitutes as a water scarce city or country
As an example, the Criticality Ratio from globalwaterforum.org notes that : ‘… a country is said to be water scarce if annual withdrawals are between 20-40% of annual supply, and severely water scarce if they exceed 40%’.
There’s other ways to measure and identify water scarcity too though
One of the listed wri.org resources provides a map which shows the regions in the different countries in the world that are experiencing different levels of water stress, and are withdrawing different amounts of their annual supply
Another wri.org resource listed, the Aqueduct tool, also provides country rankings
In general though, it might be accurate to say that the most water scarce countries will also be some of the most water stressed, unless technology like desalination and other water strategies are taken into account.
How Many People In The World Currently Experience Water Scarcity?
Water scarcity can be seasonal or more full time water scarcity
Seasonal water scarcity might impact over 2 billion people worldwide, and full time water scarcity may impact half a billion to 1 billion people, according to some reports
Seasonal Water Scarcity
… a total of 2.7 billion find water scarce for at least one month of the year (worldwildlife.org)
One-third of the global population (2 billion people) live under conditions of severe water scarcity at least 1 month of the year (wikipedia.org)
Full Time Water Scarcity
… more than 1 billion people currently live in water-scarce regions [in the world] (ceoworld.biz)
Half a billion people in the world face severe water scarcity all year round (wikipedia.org)
Potential Causes Of Water Stress & Water Scarcity Within Regions & Countries
We list some of the main causes for water scarcity and water stress in this guide, and also this one.
Has Global Water Stress Increased Or Decreased Over Time? – Recent Trends
For some countries, such as some in Africa, it’s increased.
For other countries, such as some in Europe, it’s decreased.
There’s a number of reasons for both.
Increasing Water Stress
From unwater.org (PDF report):
An analysis of trends in water stress for the past 20 years (1996–2016) shows that it has increased for most countries in the world.
In 26 countries, 15 of which are in Africa, water stress has more than doubled.
The likely reasons for these increases are increased economic activities, growing populations and improved ways to measure water usage, along with effects of climatic changes
Decreasing Water Scarcity
From unwater.org (PDF report):
On the other hand, water scarcity has decreased for 44 countries, half of which are in Europe.
Reducing water stress can be achieved by, for example, improving water-use efficiency and shifting economic activities to less water-consuming sectors.
Are Water Scarcity & Water Stress Expected To Increase Or Decrease in The Future?
Although water demand may outpace supply in the future, it depends on how effective water management strategies are as to whether this leads to more water stress and water scarcity.
For example, solutions could be implemented that augment freshwater supplies.
From wikipedia.org:
Water Demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40% in 2030, if current trends continue [which could lead to stress and scarcity]
Scarcity can be expected to intensify with most forms of economic development, but, if correctly identified, many of its causes can be predicted, avoided or mitigated
Countries & Cities Forecast To Experience High Water Stress Or Water Scarcity In The Future (Up To 2040)
Forecasting water stress and scarcity for the future is more of an estimate than a guarantee due to various factors.
They may increase in some countries and decrease in others
Over 30 countries could face extremely high water stress by 2040, with a notable number of those countries based in the Middle East
One report outlines Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, San Marino and Singapore as some of the top water stressed countries in the future by 2040
Parts of the US and China may see significant increases in water stress in the future
There also a number of cities that might be facing water risk related challenges in the future unless they change their water management strategies
How Many Countries Will Be Extremely High Water Stress By 2040
According to wri.org:
[Climate models and socioeconomic scenarios] WRI scored and ranked future water stress in 167 countries—with water stress being a measure of competition and depletion of surface water …
… 33 countries face extremely high water stress in 2040
Which Countries Will Experienced Significantly Increased Water Stress By 2040
From wri.org:
… Chile, Estonia, Namibia, and Botswana could face an especially significant increase in water stress by 2040
… Fourteen of the 33 likely most water stressed countries in 2040 are in the Middle East, including nine considered extremely highly stressed with a score of 5.0 out of 5.0: Bahrain, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Lebanon
Top Water Stressed Countries By 2040
wri.org list the top 33 water stressed countries by 2040 as (from 1 at the top to 33 at the bottom):
1. Bahrain
Kuwait
Qatar
San Marino
Singapore
UAE
Palestine
Israel
Saudi Arabia
Oman
Lebanon
Kyrgyzstan
Iran
Jordan
Libya
Yemen
Macedonia
Azerbaijan
Morocco
Kazakhstan
Iraq
Armenia
Pakistan
Chile
Syria
Turkmenistan
Turkey
Greece
Uzbekistan
Algeria
Afghanistan
Spain
33. Tunisia
Regions Within Countries That Could See Water Stress Increase By 2040
From wri.org:
[Specific areas of the US and China] such as the southwestern U.S. and China’s Ningxia province, could see water stress increase by up to 40 to 70 percent
Cities Potentially At Risk Of Running Out Of Water In The Future
These cities might be most likely to run out of water in the future (unless action is taken):
[Sao Paulo, Brazil, Bangalore, India, Beijing, China, Cairo, Egypt, Jakarta, Indonesia, Moscow, Russia, Istanbul, Turkey, Mexico City, Mexico, London, UK, Tokyo, Japan and Miami, US] (bbc.com)
Although, some of these cities might be doing more than others to address their water scarcity issues.
More Information On The Future Of Global Water Stress
wri.org has a ‘Water Stress By 2040’ map for all regions around the world, and water stress projections for 2030 and 2040
How Many Total People Could Experience Water Stress In The Future?
It could be up to half the world’s population by 2050
… roughly half the world’s projected 9.7 billion people will live in water-stressed regions by 2050 (sciencealert.com)
How Many Total People Could Experience Water Scarcity In The Future?
Over 3 billion could experience water scarcity, however, specific regions within specific countries could experience water shortages too
Globally
… as many as 3.5 billion could experience water scarcity by 2025 (ceoworld.biz)
United States
One forecast for the US in the future, from sciencealert.com:
A study in the US from earlier this year, predicted that in just five decades, the central and southern Great Plains, the Southwest and central Rocky Mountain States, California, and areas in the South and the Midwest are likely to experience significant water shortages
More Stats & Facts On Water Stress & Water Scarcity Around The World
Both the UNwater.org and seametrics.com resources have more facts or stats on water stress or water scarcity
The unwater.org PDF document also has some good data on water stress levels across the different regions of the world]
Sources
1. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/water-scarcity-vs-water-stress-vs-water-shortage-differences-similarities-definitions/
2. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/biggest-global-fresh-water-issues-problems-solutions/
3. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/cape-town-water-shortage-case-study-causes-solutions-what-we-can-learn-for-future-water-crisis-events/
4. https://www.bettermeetsreality.com/words-phrases-to-describe-different-global-water-issues-what-they-mean/
5. https://www.wri.org/blog/2019/08/17-countries-home-one-quarter-world-population-face-extremely-high-water-stress
6. https://www.wri.org/applications/aqueduct/country-rankings/
7. https://www.wri.org/blog/2015/08/ranking-world-s-most-water-stressed-countries-2040
8. https://ceoworld.biz/2019/08/08/most-water-stressed-countries-in-the-world-for-2019/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_scarcity
10. https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity
11. https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/scarcity/
12. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-42982959
13. https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/slideshows/10-cities-most-at-risk-of-running-out-of-water
14. https://watersource.awa.asn.au/environment/natural-environment/new-data-maps-worlds-most-water-stressed-regions/
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16. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/aug/06/extreme-water-stress-affects-a-quarter-of-the-worlds-population-say-experts
17. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-countries-facing-water-crisis/
18. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/most-water-stressed-countries-in-the-world-2019-8?r=US&IR=T
19. https://www.seametrics.com/blog/future-water/
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21. https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/scarcity/
