One in every three people will be exposed to high risk of water pollution in 2050, study says

According to a study by Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Veolia, one in every three people across globe will be exposed to high risk of water pollution in 2050, due to increasing levels of nitrogen and phosphorous.

One of five people will face the water pollution risk from increased biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), the report predicted.

Veolia North America sustainability senior vice president Ed Pinero said: "The global water crisis is not science fiction.

"The evidence of drought in the United States and in many parts of the world – lack of rain or snowfall, drying rivers and lakes, water shortages, and water restrictions – is real enough.

"Now we’re seeing how the impacts of high levels of organic pollutants can affect our health and society."

Declining water conditions are likely to affect human health, economic development and several aquatic ecosystems in both developed and developing economies, the research revealed.

The organisations had co-ordinated for studies earlier as well, which stressed the importance of adopting sustainable water resource management practices by 2050.

According to the previous findings, water stress could affect around 52% of the global population i.e. 4.8 billion people, 49% of global grain production and 45%of total GDP amounting to $63 trillion.

IFPRI Environment and Production Technology deputy division director Claudia Ringler said: "The study’s results should be alarming to scientists, policy makers and citizens alike. Already, too many people are exposed to high risks associated with these pollutants."

The global scale research conducted by the two firms was based on socio-economic projections, climate change predictions, and projections for agricultural production with biophysical water quality modeling developed by them.

Densely populated regions and extensive agricultural production centres were found to be most affected by the pollutants.

The study comes in the wake of the scenario when parts of US are already struggling to cope with declining water quantity. California, a state in the US, which has been struggling with four years of drought, has even declared major water conservation and reduction measures.