High and Dry: Climate Change Increases Water Risks, Hampers Growth

Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, could cost some regions up to 6% of their GDP by 2050, spur migration, and spark conflict, according to a new World Bank report “High and Dry: Climate Change, Water and the Economy.” The combined effects of growing populations, rising incomes, and expanding cities will see demand for water rising exponentially, while supply becomes more erratic and uncertain, the report finds, with these effects expected to be most pronounced in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. But with better policies in place, we can neutralize many of these effects and move toward a world of resilience in the face of a changing climate.