UNU-INWEH: Global Water Bankruptcy and Managing Irreversible Hydrological Failure
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation | SDG 2: Zero Hunger | SDG 13: Climate Action
Ministry of Jal Shakti | NITI Aayog | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
The UNU-INWEH report titled ‘GLOBAL WATER BANKRUPTCY: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era’ defines Global Water Bankruptcy as a post-crisis state where long-term water consumption exceeds renewable inflows and safe depletion limits, leading to the irreversible degradation of water-related natural capital. This is a structural shift away from temporary scarcity toward a permanent deficit that destroys aquifers, rivers, and glaciers.
Water Insecurity Metrics: Currently, 2.2 billion people lack safe drinking water and 4 billion experience severe water scarcity annually.
Systemic Decline: Since the 1990s, over half of the world’s large lakes have lost water, and 70% of major aquifers show long-term declines.
Cryosphere Loss: More than 30% of global glacier mass has disappeared since 1970, threatening the primary water source for millions.
Agricultural Stress and Anthropogenic Drought
Agriculture is the primary driver of water bankruptcy, accounting for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals.
Food System Risk: Half of global food production is located in water-stressed areas, where salinization and land degradation are accelerating.
Human-Made Deficits: Droughts are increasingly “anthropogenic,” caused by over-extraction and pollution rather than natural cycles, turning water deficits into a chronic economic burden.
Quality Degradation: Untreated wastewater and industrial effluents are reducing the volume of usable water, further tightening the global supply.
Strategic Management and Global Cooperation
The report calls for a fundamental shift from “crisis management” to “bankruptcy management”.
Demand Rebalancing: Policy must focus on rebalancing water demand with hydrological realities and protecting critical ecosystem functions.
Sectoral Transformation: There is an urgent need to transform water-intensive sectors, diversify economies, and align industrial development with local water limits.
Global Milestones: The 2026 and 2028 UN Water Conferences are identified as essential platforms to reset the global agenda and establish a water bankruptcy monitoring framework.
What is the difference between Water Scarcity and Water Bankruptcy? Water scarcity is a temporary imbalance where demand exceeds supply, often solvable through efficiency. Water bankruptcy is a permanent “overdraft” of water resources where the natural capital (like deep aquifers) is depleted beyond its ability to recharge, causing irreversible damage to the environment and long-term water security.
Policy Relevance
India is cited as a primary example of the devastating local impacts of water bankruptcy, particularly in its urban and agricultural sectors.
Urban “Day Zero” Lessons: The 2019 Chennai crisis, where main reservoirs hit near-zero levels, exemplifies the risk of “anthropogenic drought” in Indian metropolitan areas.
Groundwater Governance: With massive agricultural withdrawals, India faces severe groundwater depletion; the 2020 women farmers’ protests at the Tikri Border highlighted deep-seated concerns over groundwater resources and market deregulation.
Infrastructure vs. Hydrology: India’s high agricultural water use necessitates a policy shift toward crop diversification and aligning irrigation subsidies with hydrological limits to avoid total aquifer collapse.
Sanitation and Quality: Persistent organic and pathogen pollution in Indian water systems underscores the need for a national diagnostic framework for water quality and just-transition strategies.
Follow the full report here: GLOBAL WATER BANKRUPTCY: Living Beyond Our Hydrological Means in the Post-Crisis Era