Global overlooked multidimensional water scarcity.

ABSTRACT: Freshwater resources are fundamental to supporting humanity, and measures of water scarcity have been critical for identifying where water requirements and water availability are imbalanced. Existing water scarcity metrics typically account for blue water withdrawals (i.e., from surface-/groundwater), while the contribution of green water (i.e., soil moisture) and water quality-dimensions with important implications for multiple societal sectors-to water scarcity remains unclear. Here, we introduce the concept of multidimensional water scarcity that explicitly assesses all three of these dimensions of water scarcity and evaluates their individual and combined effects. We find that 22 to 26% of the global land area and 58 to 64% of the global population are exposed to some form of water sca

SUBMITTER: Liu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12232667 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature