Climate change wreaks havoc on Asian water resources

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Asia is expected to face a serious shortage of fresh water due to climate change, with more than one billion people forecast to be hit by the crisis, a US State Department report warned Wednesday.

“Reduced freshwater availability in Asia could affect more than one billion people by the mid-century,” said the department’s annual report on safe water and sanitation strategy in developing countries.

The report to the US Congress added that “increased floods and changes in coastal water temperatures could result in greater morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal disease.”

Globally, the report said, by 2020, 75-250 million people are expected to be under increased “water stress” due to long-term climate shifts and population growth.

Moreover, yields from rain-fed agriculture could shrink by up to 50 percent.

AFP