Urban growth, climate change, and freshwater availability

Nearly 3 billion additional urban dwellers are forecasted by 2050, and the cities they will inhabit will face major challenges in providing enough water to these future residents. This water-shortage problem due to population growth will additionally be compounded by climate change. This report considers both aspects, and attempts to estimate the per capita water availability for major cities in the developing world. It concludes that by 2050, 1 billion people will experience perennial water shortage, a massive increase from the current figure of 150 million. The report also encourages countries to take serious preemptive measures to combat the water problem.