Water security

Water security is about making sure people and nature can use water safely and wisely. It means having enough clean water for health, jobs, and the environment while also protecting against dangers like floods, droughts, and dirty water. When a community has water security, everyone can get the water they need to stay healthy and thrive.

Water security is important because many places around the world face challenges with water. Some areas have too much water during floods, while others have too little during droughts. Pollution can also make water unsafe to use. These problems can affect people’s health, their jobs, and the natural environment.

Different factors make water security easier or harder to achieve. The natural water conditions of an area, how wealthy or poor the community is, and changes in climate all play a role. Decision makers work to balance many goals, such as helping the economy grow while also keeping water safe.

There is no single way to measure water security. Some ways look at how people actually experience water in their daily lives, while others look at how much fresh water is available in nature. Scientists have found that climate change is making water security harder for many millions of people, especially in parts of Africa, Asia, and other regions facing extreme weather.

Definitions

Water security is about making sure people and nature get the water they need, when they need it, and that we’re ready for problems with water. It started being used in the 2000s and is more than just having enough water—it also means dealing with times when there’s too much water or when water isn’t clean.

One way people define water security is having enough good-quality water for health, jobs, and growing things, while also keeping risks from floods, droughts, and dirty water under control. Groups like UN-Water and the World Resources Institute talk about water security as the ability to keep access to clean water, protect against pollution and disasters, and care for ecosystems—all while keeping things peaceful and stable.

Some groups focus just on having enough water for basic needs, like what WaterAid described in 2012. Others, like the World Water Council, also stress that water must be available in the right amount and quality for all uses without using up more than the Earth can replace. Water security also connects with ideas like WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) and good water management, especially as climate change affects water supplies and creates more competition for this vital resource.

Related concepts

Water risk

Water risk means the chance of having problems with water. Examples include not enough water, too much water (like floods), and poor water quality. When water risk goes up, water security goes down. Water risks can harm industries like farming, food and drink, and energy. Farming uses most of the world’s fresh water, so it is especially affected by water problems.

Risks come from things like droughts, floods, and bad water quality. Poor infrastructure and management can make these risks worse. The financial world is starting to see how important it is to manage water risk. Some groups, like the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund, have tools to help companies understand and handle water risks better.

Water conflict

Desired outcomes

Water security aims to help people and nature by making the most of water’s benefits and keeping risks low. This includes making sure there is enough clean water, preventing too much or too little water, and avoiding water pollution.

There are three main goals for water security: helping the economy grow in a way that respects water, protecting nature’s water needs, and making sure everyone has fair access to safe and affordable water. These goals help create jobs, support wildlife, and ensure that communities can use and manage water safely.

Determining factors

Three main things help decide if a place can keep its water safe and useful:

1. The natural water environment
2. How the society is set up (its economy and social systems)
3. Future changes in the environment (because of the effects of climate change)

The natural water environment matters a lot. This includes how much water there is and how it changes over time and place. Some places have easy-to-manage water because rain falls steadily and rivers flow all year. Other places, like deserts or areas often hit by floods, find it much harder to keep water safe.

How rich or poor a place is, and how fair its society is, also play big roles. Unequal societies often have unequal access to clean water, especially for women and girls who usually collect water. Improving water and cleaning services helps reduce these inequalities.

Climate change adds new challenges. It can cause heavier rains and worse droughts, making water harder to manage. As the climate changes, planning for water becomes more difficult because it is harder to predict. This makes people more vulnerable to water-related dangers.

Challenges and threats

Water security can be hard to achieve because of many different problems. Some of these problems include not having enough water, water being too dirty, and poor planning of how water is used. Climate change also makes these problems worse by causing more droughts and floods.

One big problem is not having enough water. Many people in the world live in places where there isn’t enough clean water to meet everyone’s needs. This can happen because there are too many people, or because we use too much water for things like farming.

Water can also become dirty from pollution. This makes it unsafe to drink and can also reduce the amount of water that is available. Climate change can make water quality even worse in many ways, such as causing heavy rains that wash dirt into water supplies, or making rivers warmer so that harmful plants grow in them.

Management approaches

There are different ways to tackle water insecurity. Science and engineering can increase water supply or make use more efficient. Financial tools can help poorer people, and higher prices may encourage more investments in water systems. Decision makers invest in institutions, information, and infrastructure to achieve water security.

The right institutions are important for water security. They help decide how to manage water for everyone. Strong institutions support sustainable development, including water security. Keeping track of water quality and pollution is important, especially for drinking water.

Having good information about water helps with planning and decision-making. Climate information tools can help prepare for water risks. Seasonal weather forecasts can be useful, especially when applied locally. Understanding how climate patterns affect different areas can improve these forecasts.

Water infrastructure includes natural features like lakes and rivers, and built structures like dams. Improving water storage, finding new water sources, and building flood protections are all ways to manage water. Balancing public and private spending on these projects is important to avoid unwanted costs.

People manage water security at different scales, from local communities to global organizations. Identifying constraints and developing suitable service models help improve water security. Reducing inequalities in water access is important, especially for women in low-income countries who often manage water but have limited choices. Many institutions work to make water and sanitation services stronger against climate changes.

Measurement tools

There isn’t just one way to measure water security, because it’s about the results we want, and what matters can change depending on where you are and who you ask.

Instead, people often look at different parts of water security to compare how well places are doing. For example, the Global Water Security Index checks things like:

• How much water is available (like during dry times or when underground water runs low);
• How easy it is to get clean water and proper toilets;
• How safe the water is (like checking water quality and flood risks);
• How well water is managed between countries and groups.

Scientists study water security in different ways. Some focus on what people actually experience, like how well families can get and use water. Others look at how much fresh water exists in an area. The Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale helps understand the challenges families face with water, making sure help goes to those who need it most and checking if water plans are working well.

Global estimates

The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report explains how changes in weather and extreme climate events have caused problems with food and water for millions of people. The biggest effects are felt in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Small Islands, and the Arctic.

The report also predicts that if the world warms up by 2 °C, about 1-4 billion people could struggle to get enough water. This depends on how climate change affects different areas and what happens with society and the economy. On the topic of water scarcity, which is a part of water insecurity, the report says that 1.5-2.5 billion people already live in places where water is hard to find.

Water scarcity and water security are not exactly the same. Some places have good water services with safety, quality, and easy access, so they are safe even when water is scarce. This is true in parts of the United States, Australia, and Southern Europe. However, some groups, like Indigenous peoples, often have less access to water and can face water insecurity sometimes.

Country examples

Bangladesh

Further information: Water supply and sanitation in Bangladesh and Climate change in Bangladesh

Too much water can cause problems for people’s safety. In Bangladesh, risks to water safety include natural climate-related events, some effects of growing cities, and changes from climate change like shifts in rain patterns and rising sea levels.

Bangladesh faces water safety issues in both the capital, Dhaka, and its coastal areas. In Dhaka, heavy rains can cause flooding that pollutes the water supply. In the coastal areas, about 20 million people deal with salty water in their wells, times when there isn’t enough water, dirty water from waste, and flooding from heavy rains and storms. The government has many programs to help protect people living along the coast and improve their lives, like projects to better manage water systems and plan for climate risks.

Ethiopia

Further information: Climate change in Ethiopia and Water supply and sanitation in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has two rainy seasons each year, with rain falling in the spring and summer. The amount and timing of rain varies a lot across the country.

In 2022, Ethiopia faced a very serious drought caused by four rainy seasons with too little rain. This affected more than 8 million people who depend on animals and farming for their living. Many needed help to get food and water, and food prices went up a lot. In the Awash basin, where most farming does not use irrigation, changes in rain patterns can hurt the economy and farming.

Working with local offices, new ways to share water in the Awash basin have been created to help the millions of people living there have enough water for their homes, farms, and businesses.

Kenya

Further information: Water supply and sanitation in Kenya and Climate change in Kenya

Kenya has many water safety problems, including unsafe drinking water, times when there isn’t enough water, poor treatment of wastewater, and both droughts and floods. Large weather patterns in the area strongly influence how much rain Kenya gets.

About 38% of Kenya’s people and 70% of its animals live in areas that don’t get much rain, which changes from season to season. People in northern Kenya are seeing more changes in rain patterns and more frequent droughts, which creates conflicts over water. Women and children often have to walk far to find water. While underground water could help, there are problems with its quality, using too much of it, and keeping the systems that get it that work well.

Ukraine

Russian forces have damaged many of Ukraine’s freshwater stores since February 2022 to 2024. This has cut off water for drinking, industries, and farming in the south and east. With the damage to storage and the loss of a major reservoir, farming with irrigation has become very difficult. To improve water use in the future, new technologies and farming methods will be needed.