Water at the epicenter of 2025 Global Risk Report, says WaterAid
Water is positioned at the epicentre of the world’s most pressing global crises, WaterAid observes, as the World Economic Forum publishes its highly anticipated findings from the new Global Risks Report 2025.
The forum’s top four global risks predicted for the next decade all relate to environmental and climate issues, with ‘extreme weather events’ topping the next decade list for the second year in a row.
Also notable on the list is ‘Inequality’. Taken in conjunction with the prominence of environmental and climate change risks, it cannot be ignored that many of the regions most vulnerable to climate change are also where the divide between rich and poor is most stark.
Tim Wainwright, WaterAid UK’s Chief Executive, responds:
“With 90% of all natural disasters being water-related, causing devastation to water and sanitation services, these predictions are terrifying.
“In the next 10 years extreme weather, natural resource shortages and ecosystem collapse are predicted to wreak further havoc on our planet and communities. Yet, global leaders can still alter this future - starting by taking decisive action at next week’s Davos summit.
“Fragile or outdated facilities must be urgently upgraded to withstand the extreme weather events—cyclones, wildfires, floods, and drought—that we are experiencing in greater severity and frequency than ever before. It is not just a matter of justice for the communities most at risk, but a smart investment for the world.
“World leaders must act now to unite the public and private sector and collectively close the finance gap for water – only then can we truly safeguard our planet and our future.”
ENDS
Emma Sutton-Smith, Senior News Manager, [email protected]. Or call WaterAid’s press line on 020 7793 4537, or email [email protected].
Notes to editors
About WaterAid
WaterAid is an international not-for-profit determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. We work alongside communities in 22 countries to secure these three essentials that transform people’s lives. Since 1981, WaterAid has reached almost 29 million people with clean water, and over 29 million with decent toilets.
For more information, visit our website wateraid.org/uk; follow us on Twitter @WaterAidUK, @WaterAid or @WaterAidPress; or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram.
- 703 million people in the world – almost one in ten – don’t have clean water close to home.
- 2.2 billion people in the world – more than one in four – don’t have safe water.
- Almost 2 billion people in the world – one in four – lack soap and/or water to wash their hands at home, if they have a place at all.
- 1.5 billion people in the world – almost one in five – don’t have a decent toilet of their own.
- 570 million people in the world – 1 in 14 – have a decent toilet but have to share it with people outside their family. This compromises the privacy, dignity and safety of women and girls.1
- Almost 400,000 children under five die every year due to diseases caused by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. That's more than 1000 children a day, or almost one child every one and a half minutes.2
- Investing in safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services provides up to 21 times more value than it costs.3
1: WHO/UNICEF (2023), Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022: special focus on gender (accessed 11 Jul 2023)
2: WHO (2023), Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene: 2019 update (accessed 24 Jul 2023)
3: WaterAid (2021), Mission-critical: Invest in water, sanitation and hygiene for a healthy and green economic recovery (accessed 1 Nov 2023).
