Please note!

This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Do scientists predict global water shortages in the near future?

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

By Jacqueline Agustin

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YES

The World Health Organization predicts that "half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas" by 2025 due to climate change, urbanization and population growth. Climate change shifts rain patterns and increases evaporation, making droughts more extreme in some areas and rainstorms or blizzards more extreme in others. When people can't access clean water, illness spreads more easily. Drought also reduces food production.

A Stanford University case study has projected that the nation of Jordan would receive 30% less rainfall and see droughts triple by 2100 under current conditions. Rainfall would increase as greenhouse-gas emissions declined (though still would be less than in previous years). Another study has forecast that by 2071, nearly half of U.S. fresh water basins won't be able to meet their drinking water demand.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

World Health Organization: Drinking water fact sheet

Columbia: How climate change impacts our water

Stanford: The effects of climate change on water shortages

Harvard: Future widespread water shortages likely in US

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.