Global Water Bankruptcy: UN Warns of Irreversible Damage to Water Systems

The world has entered a new era of "global water bankruptcy," according to a UN report, as rivers, aquifers, glaciers, and wetlands have been damaged and depleted beyond recovery. The report argues that the terms "water stress" and "water crisis" are no longer adequate, as human-water systems are already in a post-crisis state of failure. Water bankruptcy occurs when long-term withdrawals exceed renewable inflows and safe depletion limits, causing irreparable or prohibitively costly damage to critical water systems.