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dam-l UN water shortage prediction/LS



FromEnvironmental News Service:


12:13 PM ET 02/05/99

U.N. Sees Severe Water Shortage

 U.N. Sees Severe Water Shortage
           GENEVA (AP) _ A severe water shortage could have ``catastrophic
 consequences'' in some developing countries unless global solutions
 are found soon, the U.N. weather agency said Friday.
           Almost a billion people could be living in countries with
 moderate to severe water shortages caused by climate change,
 contamination and population growth by the year 2025, according to
 the World Meteorological Organization. That could double again by
 2050.
           Although developing countries make up most of those with severe
 water shortages, potential problem areas in the future include the
 west coast of the United States, the agency added.
           More than 150 experts from around the world will hold a
 U.N.-sponsored meeting in Geneva next week to discuss ways of
 safeguarding water supplies.
           ``Unless adequate responses are found, the water situation will
 be drastic in many parts of the world, with catastrophic
 consequences for the poorer communities in developing countries,''
 the WMO said.
           ``Almost everything you do has the consumption of water behind
 it,'' said Arthur Askew, WMO water resources director. As an
 example, he said producing 1 pound of beef in the United States
 takes about 2,640 gallons of water.

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      Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
        and Editor, World Rivers Review
           International Rivers Network
              1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
                  Tel. (510) 848 1155   Fax (510) 848 1008
                        http://www.irn.org
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