Madaney asserts that it is already impossible to restore the lost freshwater reserves: “Irreversibility means that we have destroyed vital natural water resources.” In his report, he points out that water levels in more than half of the major lakes have decreased since the early 1990s, dozens of rivers no longer reach the sea during certain months, and since the 1970s, the loss of glacial mass has amounted to about one-third.
According to the expert, 70% of the planet's freshwater reserves are used in agriculture, and the shortage of water resources is becoming increasingly palpable, especially in Asia, where farmers are also focused on exports. The issue of water scarcity also affects countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
The UN calls on developed nations of the "global North" to assist the affected regions, emphasizing that "water bankruptcy" is a problem of global scale. Currently, about 4 billion people are suffering from acute water scarcity, and Kaveh Madani adds that global warming exacerbates this situation.
