Environment : Freshwater Resource

The GSG report uses the availability of fresh water resource as another key variable for sustainable development in their scenario planning. The variables studied is the use-to-resource ratio and the population in water stress. The use-to-resource ratio is defined as national annual withdrawals divided by the annaual renewable resources. In 1995 1.9 billion (34%) of the people lived in areas of water stress (use-to-resource ratio of greater that 0.4 represnt high level of water stress).

According to the report Monitoring Millennium Development Goals for Water and Sanitation: a review of experiences and challenges - IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre:
"More people have access to safe water compared to 10 years ago. But, in 2000, 1.2 billion people still lacked access to an improved water source, 40 percent of them in East Asia and Pacific and 25 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa. Meeting the Millennium Development Goals will require providing about 1.5 billion people with access to safe water and 2 billion with access to basic sanitation facilities between 2000 and 2015."
"Each year 80 million additional people will tap the earth’s water. In the past century, global water withdrawals have increased almost tenfold. Some countries have abundant, untapped stores of water to support growth well into the future. But others are already using most of their water, and major increases in supplies will be expensive. Far from plentiful, rural water has to be shared by the growing cities, the burgeoning rural areas, and a thirsty environment. Greater efficiency is needed in the use of water, as is a fairer allocation to balance limited supply with rising demand."