Global water cycle off balance, threatening half the planet’s food production

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water reveals that human activities have thrown the global water cycle into chaos for the first time in history
• Decades of poor land use and water mismanagement, coupled with climate change, are creating a water disaster that threatens economies, food production, and lives

🔭 The context: The water cycle, crucial for distributing water across Earth, is now severely disrupted
• Nearly 3 billion people already face water scarcity, and the situation is expected to worsen without immediate action
• The report warns that the global water crisis could undermine 50% of food production and reduce global GDP by up to 8% by 2050

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: A disrupted water cycle increases the risk of droughts, floods, and agricultural failures, compounding the climate crisis and accelerating biodiversity loss
• Healthy ecosystems, such as wetlands and forests, which act as natural carbon sinks, are being destroyed, exacerbating global warming

⏭️ What's next: The report calls for urgent action, urging governments to treat the water cycle as a "common good" and collaborate across borders
• It recommends reforms in water management, improved pricing to prevent waste, and reduced reliance on water-intensive industries

💬 One quote: “For the first time in human history, we are pushing the global water cycle out of balance” – Johan Rockström, co-chair of the commission

📈 One stat: The report predicts that the water crisis could shave up to 15% off the GDP of low-income countries by 2050

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