Water problems affect all nations
Lack of water is increasingly affecting some of the world's wealthiest nations.
A WWF report claims that climate change, drought and loss of wetlands, poorly thought out water infrastructure and resource mismanagement are creating a global crisis.
Jamie Pittock, director of WWF's Global Freshwater Programme, said: "Economic riches don't translate to plentiful water. Water must be used more efficiently throughout the world - scarcity and pollution are becoming more common and responsibility for finding solutions rests with both rich and poor nations."
Fresh water can no longer be considered a limitless resource in Europe. Countries along the Atlantic are suffering recurring droughts, while water-intensive tourism and irrigated agriculture are endangering water resources in the Mediterranean, according to the report.
Mr Pittock said: "Regrettably, it appears that the next group of rapidly developing economies have already been seduced by major infrastructure plans, such as large dams, with inadequate consideration of whether such projects will meet water needs or inflict human and natural costs."
In the United States, large areas are already using substantially more water than can be naturally replenished, says the report.
In Australia, the world's driest continent, salinity is a threat to many key agricultural areas. Despite high rainfall in Japan, contamination of water supplies is a serious issue.
Mr Pittock added: "The crisis in rich nations is proof that wealth and infrastructure are no substitute for protecting rivers and wetlands and restoring floodplain areas."
The report, entitled Rich Countries, Poor Water, says water problems affecting rich and poor alike are a wake up call to return to protecting nature as the source of water.
In the run up to World Water Week, which starts on August 20, governments must find solutions for both rich and poor which include repairing ageing infrastructure, reducing contaminants and changing irrigation practices, the report says.
