33 major cities are threatened by water shortages

Among cities with more than three million inhabitants, 33 are currently threatened by water scarcity, so-called water stress, according to a new compilation by the World Resources Institute.

The list is expected to be longer in the coming years. By 2030, 45 cities with a total of 470 million inhabitants are at risk of water shortages.

- Water stress is different from drought. Water stress is caused by people, so it is our responsibility to use water resources so that we reduce the risk of water stress, says Ruth Mathews.

At this point, the water in Chennai, India's sixth largest city, is running out. Last year, Cape Town in South Africa passed with distress and hardly escaped "zero day", that is, a scenario where the city had become completely dry.

Water shortages are also evident in Europe. In 2017, Italy's capital Rome was allowed to ration the water and the EU estimates that at least 11 percent of Europe's population is affected by water shortages.

To measure water stress, the amount of water used is compared to the amount available.

- Demand for water has gradually increased. In several places around the world, demand is now almost as great as supply. It's water stress, says Ruth Mathews.

When a country or city uses almost all of its water resources in everyday life, it becomes extremely vulnerable to drought and climate change.

According to Mathews, there are many things that consumers and society in general can do to reduce water stress. It plays a big role in how cities are planned, how water is reused and how food is produced.

- Agriculture is the largest water user, but there are many ways to make production more water-efficient. Irrigation can be more efficient and you can choose crops that require less water or can dry better, says Ruth Mathews.

Consumers can also reduce water stress by reducing food waste, as food is then not unnecessarily produced.

Although there are large cities threatened by water scarcity, there may also be problems in more sparsely populated areas.

There are also great variations within each country. While some cities in India are severely affected by water shortages, this is not at all a problem in other parts of the country.

- It is also not only in the water-stressed countries that the problems arise. Sweden is at the bottom when it comes to water stress. But last year we saw that water shortages were a problem. We must begin to see water as a valuable resource that we must take care of, ”says Ruth Mathews.