Our Scans · (LF.6) Clean Water and Sanitation · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 6. Ensure availability of water and sanitation for all.

• [New] Without rapid reforms, water scarcity could trigger mass displacement, economic instability, and geopolitical tensions. UN warns of "Global Water Bankruptcy" as demand surges
• [New] Up to 2 billion people already lack reliable access to safe water and that current global water use is on track to exceed renewable supplies by 40% by 2030. UN warns of "Global Water Bankruptcy" as demand surges
• [New] Under comprehensive adoption of policy interventions, all Pune residents could gain access to at least 40 liters of water per day with only about a 1% increase in the total water supply. EurekAlert!
• [New] By 2050, one-third to nearly half of the global urban population is projected to face water scarcity, with one-quarter living in India. EurekAlert!
• [New] Climate change could mean less water for Los Angeles, which currently gets most of its supply from Northern California and the Colorado River. PRX - Public Radio Exchange
• [New] Newsom vetoed the consumer product ban, but not the cleanup fund, meaning PFAS-laden products will continue to pollute California water and fuel the demand for cleanup. The Guardian
• [New] Cooling systems for the dense compute loads that characterize AI workloads consume millions of gallons per year at a single site, and total data center water consumption is projected to rise by approximately 170% by 2030. Verdict
• [New] By 2030, the world is projected to face a 40% global water deficit under the business-as-usual climate scenario. InternationalDayForests
• [New] By 2050, an extra 2.3 billion people are projected to be living in river basins under severe water stress, especially in North and South Africa, and South and Central Asia. InternationalDayForests
• [New] Under baseline assumptions, data center water use within the WMA is projected to increase to approximately 22 MGD on average and over 80 MGD at peak by 2050. ICPRB
• [New] With multiple policies working together, every resident in Pune could receive at least 40 liters of water per day. earth.com
• [New] Water shortages could become severe by the middle of this century. / India earth.com
• [New] The planned Chang'e 7 mission, launching later in 2026, will likely land at the Shackleton Crater on the south pole to survey it for water ice and other resources that might be used to support the ILRS. Scientific American
• [New] The Corpus Christi City Council, in February, approved plans for a seawater desalination plant that the city projects will begin producing potable water in two years. Houston Public Media
• [New] Water used for data-centre cooling will triple by 2050 as AI adoption accelerates. FirstPost
• [New] AI's water usage is set to grow by about 130%, or by about 30 trillion liters (7.9 trillion gallons) of water through 2050. Fortune
• Water utilities in every U.S. region are vulnerable to climate hazards. ABC News
• Hazards intensified by climate change, like drought and flooding, threaten both the quantity and quality of drinking water across the U.S.. ABC News
• Public water supplies will be short of 5 billion liters of water a day by 2055 with an additional 1 billion liters of water needed in the wider economy. Blue Patch

Last updated: 16 March 2026