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Future global urban water scarcity and potential solutions

Author

Listed:
  • Chunyang He

    (Beijing Normal University
    Beijing Normal University)

  • Zhifeng Liu

    (Beijing Normal University
    Beijing Normal University)

  • Jianguo Wu

    (Beijing Normal University
    Beijing Normal University
    Arizona State University)

  • Xinhao Pan

    (Beijing Normal University
    Beijing Normal University)

  • Zihang Fang

    (Beijing Normal University
    Beijing Normal University)

  • Jingwei Li

    (Shanghai Normal University)

  • Brett A. Bryan

    (Deakin University)

Abstract

Urbanization and climate change are together exacerbating water scarcity—where water demand exceeds availability—for the world’s cities. We quantify global urban water scarcity in 2016 and 2050 under four socioeconomic and climate change scenarios, and explored potential solutions. Here we show the global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to increase from 933 million (one third of global urban population) in 2016 to 1.693–2.373 billion people (one third to nearly half of global urban population) in 2050, with India projected to be most severely affected in terms of growth in water-scarce urban population (increase of 153–422 million people). The number of large cities exposed to water scarcity is projected to increase from 193 to 193–284, including 10–20 megacities. More than two thirds of water-scarce cities can relieve water scarcity by infrastructure investment, but the potentially significant environmental trade-offs associated with large-scale water scarcity solutions must be guarded against.

Suggested Citation

  • Chunyang He & Zhifeng Liu & Jianguo Wu & Xinhao Pan & Zihang Fang & Jingwei Li & Brett A. Bryan, 2021. "Future global urban water scarcity and potential solutions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-25026-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25026-3
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