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| With surging populations, the world is coping with the increased demand for water. A rapidly urbanizing population further strains the water supply. A report by the World Resources Institute ranks countries that face a high risk of their water resources running out by 2040. We take a look at some of these places that might run out of water soon. Adam Pretty/Getty Images |
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Kazakhstan
Central Asia's largest nation has scarce amounts of water and around 50 percent of the population consumes poor quality drinking water that fails to meet international standards. Inefficient agricultural practices have worsened the situation as crop yield continues to go down without a decrease in the amount of water being used. The region's largest lake, the Aral Sea (pictured) has also been rapidly shrinking, impacting the region's fresh water supply. Vyacheslav Oseledko/Getty Images
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Morocco
A serious gap between the demand and supply of water and the deterioration of the quality of water have led to widespread water shortages in the country. Current bodies of water are also being polluted by industrial and urban waste. Rafael Marchante/Reuters
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Azerbaijan
Due to climate change, water supply is expected to be reduced 23 percent from 2021 to 2050. photoaliona/Getty Images
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Macedonia
Decreasing rainfall has led to the country's groundwater and rivers not being replenished. Water level in the rivers has fallen and the eastern part of the country faces frequent droughts. Around 40 percent of the water is currently used for irrigation and that amount is also predicted to increase. Francisco Goncalves/Getty Images
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Yemen
The ongoing civil war has affected the country's water situation with various reports stating the capital Sana'a will run out of water as soon as 2017. Only 40 percent of the households in the city are connected to the municipal water supply and they get water maybe twice a week. The country doesn't harvest rainwater and they currently rely on dwindling groundwater supplies. Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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Libya
Around 90 percent of the country is desert and the groundwater recharge rate is one-fourth the rate of consumption. The country has also expanded agricultural activity by planting water intensive crops and is not reusing its treated wastewater properly. cinoby/Getty Images
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Jordan
The cost of water in the country has gone up 30 percent in the last decade due to a shortage of groundwater. Jordan is the third driest country in the world and much of the country's water network is aging. They have no water resources other than underground aquifers. The influx of Syrian refugees in the country has worsened the situation. Mohammad Abu Ghosh/AP Images
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Iran
A soaring population and the desert are Iran's main causes for water shortage. Droughts are an annual occurrence and there is a lack of storage dams. There is poor wastewater management that is further polluting their sparse water resources. Lake Urmia (pictured), once the largest lake in the region, has also shrunk to 10 percent of its size because of dams, increasing the salinity of the lake. Scott Peterson/Getty Images
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Kyrgyzstan
Despite being home to 6,500 glaciers and around 2,000 lakes, Kyrgyzstan still faces water shortages due to the poor maintenance of its Soviet era plumbing and water supply systems. In addition, the rural population is greater than the urban population and they are highly dependent on water-intensive activities like agriculture. Vikto Drachev/Getty Images
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Lebanon
A large part of the country only gets water for a few hours daily with many also resorting to bottled water and tankers for their daily needs. The country has mismanaged its water resources and has failed to provide for their growing population. Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
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Oman
An increasing population and falling groundwater levels are the main cause of Oman's water problems. The country has several desalination plants that supply 80 percent of the potable water but they are failing to meet the rising demand. Archivio J. Lange/Getty Images
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Saudi Arabia
The country doesn't have a single perennial source of water and has started taxing residents for water. Saudi Arabia also has one of the highest levels of water consumption per capita in the world. Mohamed Hwaity/AFP/Getty Images
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Israel
As a result of climate change and poor resource management, data shows the water level in the Sea of Galilee – the country's main water source - is decreasing. David Silverman/Getty Images
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Palestine
Israel reduces the flow of water to the country in times of stress. The crisis is further exaggerated during times of strife when water pipelines can get shelled and damaged. Israel also has discriminatory water-sharing agreements with Palestine. Eyad Al-Baba/Getty Images
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United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates has the highest per capita consumption of water in the world. Some estimate that they will completely run out of natural freshwater in the next 50 years. Relying on desalinated water, treated waste water and ground water, it's one of the least water secure countries. They are now investing in cloud seeding technology to increase the rainfall in the country. Godong/Getty Images
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Singapore
With the highest level of water stress faced by a country, the demand for water far exceeds its natural supply. Currently they depend on Malaysia for the import of water, but with investments in technology and water management, they plan to become self-sufficient in the near future. Roslan Rahman/Getty Images
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Qatar
With one of the world's lowest levels of rainfall, Qatar faces the immense challenge of looking for an alternative source of freshwater. Their per capita use of water is twice the average consumption in the European Union and their population is expected to grow eightfold by 2050. typhoonski/Getty Images
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Kuwait
The desert country relies on desalination plants for their water in the absence of rivers or lakes. They are dependent solely on groundwater and the meager rainfall they receive, meaning the country has almost no renewable source of groundwater. Craig F. Walker/Getty Images
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Bahrain
The country has experienced dramatic population growth due to their economy improving in the past few decades. Around 89 percent of the population was urbanized in 2015 leading to a high rate of water consumption. Their only source of water is the erratic rainfall that replenishes their groundwater. John Gaps III/AP Photo
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