UN warns against thirsty tech to solve water crisis

Paris: The world needs to better manage its freshwater resources but thirsty new technologies touted as solutions could lead to serious problems if...

Paris: The world needs to better manage its freshwater resources but thirsty new technologies touted as solutions could lead to "serious problems" if left unchecked, a UN report warned Friday.

Roughly half of the planet's population is facing grave water shortages, with climate change-linked droughts affecting more than 1.4 billion people between 2002 and 2021, the report for the UN cultural agency UNESCO said.

As of 2022, more than 2 billion people were without access to safely managed drinking water, while 3.5 billion people lacked access to decent toilets, it added.

On top of that, pharmaceuticals, hormones and industrial chemicals are seeping into the world's rivers.

The report, titled "Water for prosperity and peace", called for more water education, data collection and investment to address the crisis.