South Asia faces the most severe water scarcity globally

The United Nations reported on Monday that children in South Asia are struggling more than the rest of the world due to extreme water scarcity, which is exacerbated by climate change. 

According to the UN children’s agency, 347 million children under 18 in South Asia are experiencing extremely high-water scarcity, and it’s the highest number compared to all other regions globally. 

The eight-nation region, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, accommodates over a quarter of the global child population. 

“Climate change is disrupting weather patterns and rainfall, leading to unpredictable water availability.” The UN said in its report that cites poor water quality and mismanagement such as over-pumping of aquifers, while climate change decreases the amount of water replenishing them. 

In the previous year, South Asia had the highest number of children, 45 million, without access to basic water services, more than any other region.  

However, UNICEF reported that these services are growing rapidly, with the expectation to reduce this number by half by 2030.  

Following South Asia, Eastern and Southern Africa were identified as regions where severe water scarcity threatens 130 million children, according to the report.