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♤ Lack of access to water is a perturbing issue, particularly in developing countries.
♤ Climate change is expected to exacerbate current stresses on water resources.
♤ By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected to be exposed to increased water stress due to climate change.
♤ Spreading water scarcity is contributing to food insecurity and heightened competitions for water both within and between countries.
♤ As the world population expands and the consumption of water spirals upwards, water problems are
bound to intensify.
♤ Increase in temperature due to climate change has been widespread over the globe.
♤ Warming has resulted in decline in mountain glaciers and snow cover in both hemispheres and this is projected to accelerate throughout the 21st century.
♤ This will in turn lead to reducing water availability, hydropower potential, and would change the seasonal flow of rivers in regions supplied by melt water from major mountain ranges (e.g. Hindu-Kush, Himalaya, Andes).
♤ By 2050s freshwater availability in Central, South, East and South-East Asia, particularly in large river basins, is projected to decrease.
♤ A warmer climate will accelerate the hydrologic cycle, altering rainfall, magnitude and timing of run-off.
♤ Available research suggests a significant future increase in heavy rainfall events in many regions, while in some regions the mean rainfall is projected to decrease.
♤ The frequency of severe floods in large river basins has increased during the 20th century.
♤ Increasing floods poses challenges to society, physical infrastructure and water quality.
♤ Rising temperatures will further affect the physical, chemical and biological properties of fresh water lakes and rivers, with predominantly adverse impacts on many individual fresh water species, community composition and water quality.
♤ In coastal areas, sea level rise will exacerbate water resource constraints due to increased salinisation of groundwater supplies.