Water crisis ignored

The United Nations report on “global water bankruptcy” is a final warning to countries worldwide, including Thailand.

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According to the study released on Jan 21, the world’s “water savings accounts” are being depleted at an alarming rate. As the global population continues to grow, more than half of the world’s large lakes have shrunk over the past three decades. Around 35% of the world’s natural wetlands have been lost over the past half-century.

The impact will be felt far and wide because three-quarters of the world’s population live in countries classified as water-insecure or critically water-insecure. Make no mistake: the water crisis is more than an issue of public hygiene or natural disasters. It can trigger social unrest and even interstate conflict. The report warns that water-related conflicts worldwide rose from 20 in 2010 to more than 400 in 2024.

The key question is whether governments, politicians and policymakers have allocated resources proportionate to the scale of this existential challenge. In Thailand’s case, the answer is sadly no.