UN Report Warns of Global “Water Bankruptcy” Crisis

January 21, 2026 – CBS News

The world is entering an era of “water bankruptcy,” U.N. report warns

A new United Nations report warns that the planet has entered an era of “water bankruptcy,” with human water use exceeding renewable water sources worldwide.

The report from the UN University’s Institute for Water, Environment and Health reveals that Earth’s water repositories—rivers, lakes, and aquifers—are being depleted faster than they can be restored. The American Southwest is identified as one of the regions already experiencing severe impacts.

Key Findings:

The UN research documents systemic failure in water management across multiple regions, with decades of overuse compounded by pollution degrading water quality. Major rivers now fail to reach the sea for parts of the year, and half the world’s large lakes have lost water since the early 1990s.

Approximately 75% of the global population lives in water-insecure countries, while more than 1 billion acres of natural wetlands—critical buffers against floods and drought—have disappeared over the past 50 years.

Implications:

Report lead author Kaveh Madani warns that without rapid transitions toward water-smart agriculture, water bankruptcy will spread rapidly. The crisis threatens food security, with at least half the world’s food produced in areas where total water storage is declining or unstable.

UN Under-Secretary-General Tshilidzi Marwala noted that water bankruptcy is becoming a driver of fragility, displacement, and conflict, making equitable water management central to maintaining peace and stability.

Source: CBS News, reporting on UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health research