Turkmenistan enters list of water-stressed countries and states: Study

AKIPRESS.COM - WRI's updated Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas finds that 17 countries, which are home to a quarter of the world's population, face "extremely high" water stress. The tool ranks water stress, drought risk, and riverine flood risk across 189 countries and their sub-national regions, like states and provinces. Aqueduct uses a robust, peer reviewed methodology and the best-available information to create customizable global maps. Aqueduct's updated hydrological model shows a more accurate, granular picture of water risk than ever before. The platform was used by more than 50,000 people in 2018. The same year, more than 300 companies used the tool to disclose water risks to CDP .
In the 17 countries facing extremely high water stress, agriculture, industry, and municipalities are drinking up 80 percent of available surface and groundwater in an average year. When demand rivals supply, even small dry shocks - which are set to increase due to climate change - can produce dire consequences.
Turkmenistan is 16th out of 17 countries, which face "extremely high" water stress. The list includes Qatar, Israel, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, the United Arab Emirates, San Marino, Bahrain, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Oman and Botswana.
"Water stress is the biggest crisis no one is talking about. Its consequences are in plain sight in the form of food insecurity, conflict and migration, and financial instability." said Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the World Resources Institute.