UN warns of global freshwater collapse and calls for a new definition of scarcity. JAN 20, 2026

Photo: Unsplash by Simon Hurry

UN warns of global freshwater collapse and calls for a new definition of scarcity.

The report says rivers, lakes, and aquifers are being depleted faster than nature can replenish them, pushing the planet toward an irreversible scenario.

The world is entering a new and dangerous phase of the global water crisis. According to a report released by a United Nations research institute, decades of overuse, pollution, environmental degradation, and climate pressure have pushed many freshwater systems beyond the point where natural recovery is still possible.

In this context, researchers argue that terms such as “water stress” or “water crisis” no longer capture the severity of today’s reality. The report proposes the concept of “water bankruptcy”, defined as a condition in which long-term water use consistently exceeds natural resupply, causing serious and lasting damage to ecosystems.

Signs of this collapse are visible across the globe. Major lakes are shrinking, key rivers fail to reach the sea during parts of the year, and wetlands are disappearing at alarming rates. Over the past five decades, an estimated 410 million hectares of wetlands — an area nearly the size of the European Union — have been lost worldwide.

Groundwater depletion is another major warning sign. Around 70% of the world’s most important aquifers used for drinking water and irrigation show long-term declines. In urban areas, this reality increasingly manifests as “day zero” crises, when water demand exceeds available supply.

Climate change is further intensifying the problem. Since 1970, more than 30% of the world’s glacier mass has been lost, threatening the seasonal meltwater supplies relied upon by hundreds of millions of people, particularly in agricultural and mountainous regions.

While the impacts are global, the authors emphasize that not every country is currently water bankrupt. Still, the warning is clear: treating water scarcity as a temporary challenge risks locking in irreversible damage. Governments, the report argues, must acknowledge the scale of the problem and urgently rethink water governance.

Rather than providing an exhaustive inventory of water-related problems, the report seeks to reframe how the crisis is understood. The proposed definition of “water bankruptcy” will be formally presented in a peer-reviewed scientific paper, aiming to reshape both policy and academic debate.

This text was compiled using public data, scientific reports, and information from meteorological institutions.

The Green Amazon News — All rights reserved.

The Green Amazon News Editorial Team