Industrial Use
Today, industry accounts for 22 per cent of total water use in the world: 59 per cent in high-income countries and 8 per cent in low-income countries. The report predicts that this average will reach 24 per cent by 2025, when industry uses an estimated 1,170 km³/year.
Every year, 300 to 500 million tonnes of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge and other wastes accumulate in water resources from industry. More than 80 per cent of the world’s hazardous waste is produced in the United States and other industrial countries.
Natural Disaster Risk
The report outlines the need to make risk reduction an integral part of water resource management. While the number of geophysical disasters like earthquakes and landslides has remained fairly steady, the scale and number of water-related events (droughts and floods) has more than doubled since 1996. During the past decade, 665,000 people were killed by natural disasters. Over 90 per cent lost their lives in floods and droughts. Thirty-five per cent of these disasters occurred in Asia, 29 per cent in Africa, 20 per cent in the Americas, 13 per cent in Europe and the rest in Oceania.
Today, industry accounts for 22 per cent of total water use in the world: 59 per cent in high-income countries and 8 per cent in low-income countries. The report predicts that this average will reach 24 per cent by 2025, when industry uses an estimated 1,170 km³/year.
Every year, 300 to 500 million tonnes of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge and other wastes accumulate in water resources from industry. More than 80 per cent of the world’s hazardous waste is produced in the United States and other industrial countries.
Natural Disaster Risk
The report outlines the need to make risk reduction an integral part of water resource management. While the number of geophysical disasters like earthquakes and landslides has remained fairly steady, the scale and number of water-related events (droughts and floods) has more than doubled since 1996. During the past decade, 665,000 people were killed by natural disasters. Over 90 per cent lost their lives in floods and droughts. Thirty-five per cent of these disasters occurred in Asia, 29 per cent in Africa, 20 per cent in the Americas, 13 per cent in Europe and the rest in Oceania.