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Water Stressors

M any countries suffer from water shortage because they do not have sufficient water sources. However, there are many countries with ad- equate freshwater that still face water scarcity. This is due to water stressors that put pressure on the available water. To avoid such a situation, water needs to be used carefully and water stressors need to be managed.

Major Water Stressors Overpopulation, especially in developing countries, is putting more pressure on water resources. Global population is pre- dicted to increase by about three billion by 2050, out of which 90 percent is ex- pected to live in developing countries. The migration of people to regions with suffi- cient water supply is another stressor that increases water demand and eventually pushes that region toward water stress. At present, there are more than 191 million migrants worldwide. Changes in precipi- tation patterns due to global warming are also contributing to water stress.

CLIMATE CHANGE: Problems and Progress

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