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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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