Demand for water set to outstrip supply by 50 per cent by 2040

Madeleine Cuff
clock •

Next two decades will see massive surge in global demand for water, putting 57 per cent of the global economy at risk of water scarcity, new analysis reveals

By 2040 the gap between the global demand for freshwater and its supply will hit 50 per cent, intensifying the competition for global water resources in a way that will impact businesses across a range...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

Madeleine Cuff
Author spotlight

Madeleine Cuff

View profile
More from Madeleine Cuff

From SEMTA to Enginuity: Engineering skills body rebrands

Inside Enginuity's plan to build a workforce for the future

More on Risk

Fossil fuel volatility threatens bleak winter for European economies
Risk

Fossil fuel volatility threatens bleak winter for European economies

New study calculates that every 10 per cent increase in oil and has prices pushes up European inflation by up to 0.36 per cent

James Murray
James Murray
clock 15 September 2026 • 7 min read
Study: Over £18bn of food imports at risk from soaring Mediterranean temperatures
Risk

Study: Over £18bn of food imports at risk from soaring Mediterranean temperatures

ECIU analysis reveals how Mediterranean nations that provide over half of some popular imports are seeing agricultural workers hit hard by extreme heat

James Murray
James Murray
clock 10 September 2026 • 3 min read
Survey: Over 90 per cent of businesses have suffered financial losses due to climate disruption
Risk

Survey: Over 90 per cent of businesses have suffered financial losses due to climate disruption

More than three quarters of business leaders claim their sustainability data is insufficient and is yet to be properly harnessed to tackle escalating climate risks

Amber Rolt
clock 09 September 2026 • 3 min read