Global Scans · Water · Weekly Summary

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WHAT'S NEXT?: Global demand for fresh water is expected to outpace sustainable supply by 40% in 2030. Global water demand will climb in tandem with population and economic growth. At least two-thirds of the world's population will face 'water stress' by 2025 and the number of people affected by floods could increase by a factor of three by 2100 bring significant risk of unrest and conflict. The UN Security Council will have to declare water a strategic resource of humanity and adopt a resolution to protect water resources and installations. Organizations will be expected to play their part in conserving water.

• [New] India's 2025 wastewater reuse policies mark a critical shift from treating only 28% of urban sewage to mandatory circular water management, addressing both environmental challenges and economic opportunities worth INR 630 million. SUSBIO | Sewage Treatment Plant | Packaged STP
• [New] India's approach to water sustainability will see a major shift with new wastewater reuse policies in 2025. SUSBIO | Sewage Treatment Plant | Packaged STP
• [New] New residential societies must start with 20% water recycling by 2027 and reach 50% by 2030-31. SUSBIO | Sewage Treatment Plant | Packaged STP
• [New] Iran's capital, Tehran, a sprawling metropolis of over 10 million inhabitants, is grappling with an existential threat: it's running out of water. WebProNews
• [New] The proposed new capital in the Makran region could transform Iran's southern coast into an economic powerhouse, leveraging ports for trade and desalination plants for water security. WebProNews
• [New] The economic-water crisis and growing social destabilization in Iran could shape the near-term developments in the coming months. #
• [New] The national rollout of smart water meters across England will empower households and businesses to use water more efficiently. GOV.UK
• [New] We expect a substantial shift in activity during 2025 to 2026 to increase smart water meter installations across England and help empower customers to be more water efficient. GOV.UK
• [New] 90% of disasters in the last decade were water-related, and with increasing disruption of the hydrological cycle by both climate change and human activity, floods, storms and droughts are increasingly affecting water management, economic development and natural ecosystems. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] Licking County farmers will need an estimated equivalent of 5 inches of rainwater a year for irrigation during the growing season, says the Central Ohio Regional Water Study. WTVG
• [New] The changing climate in Ohio will drive an unprecedented demand by central Ohio farmers for surface and groundwater. WTVG
• [New] We will see the rise of Hydro-Diplomacy, where transboundary water agreements become as critical as historic arms treaties. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] Drought, wind and flooding that occur due to reasons other than storms topped the list of natural disasters that endanger 1,700 military sites worldwide, from large bases to outposts. The Financial Express
• [New] As demand begins to spike in 2026, water costs are expected to rise dramatically across affected regions. Waterless Co. Inc.
• [New] Data centers powering AI systems consumed approximately 17 billion gallons of water in 2023, a figure projected to surge to 68 billion gallons by 2028, a nearly 300% increase in just five years. Waterless Co. Inc.
• [New] The South African government plans to lift a 13-year moratorium on fracking in one of its most water-scarce regions. Circle of Blue
• [New] Project Cedar, which will be built somewhere in the U.S. and operational in 2026, is being designed with four HDAC modules capable of capturing 3,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and will also produce more than 6,000 tons of clean water annually. NewsData, LLC
• [New] While the ocean plays a critical role in regulating our climate and supporting biodiversity and the livelihoods of billions of people on the planet, the blue economy is still lacking in investment to reach its full potential. COP30 Virtual Ocean Pavilion 2025 (3-21 November)
• [New] Iraq's vulnerability is stark: more than 70% of its water flows from neighboring countries, with Turkey alone supplying half, Iran 15%, and Syria 5%, as reported by the Ministry of Water Resources. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] By 2030, global freshwater demand is expected to exceed supply by 40%, leaving an estimated 1.6 billion people without access to safe drinking water. Modern Diplomacy
• [New] If EPA adds microplastics to the UCMR, it will trigger mandatory monitoring of microplastic levels in public water systems and pave the way for potential federal regulations and litigation. Crowell & Moring - Microplastics Update: Regulatory and
• [New] Total water use in U.S. homes, businesses, institutions, and water distribution systems could be reduced by 25% to 60%. Pacific Institute

Last updated: 29 November 2025