The worldwide urban population suffering water shortages is estimated to grow from 933 million in 2016 to 1.7-2.4 billion people in 2050, according to a landmark UN research released on Tuesday.

According to the 'United Nations Global Water Development Report 2023: Partnerships and Cooperation for Water,' released ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, almost 80% of people living under water stress live in Asia, specifically northeast China, India, and Pakistan.

"The worldwide urban population confronting water shortages is expected to grow from 933 million (one-third of the global urban population) in 2016 to 1.7–2.4 billion people (one-third to almost half of the global urban population) in 2050, with India anticipated to account for nearly half of the increase."

"Strong international structures are urgently needed to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control," said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. "Water is our collective future, and we must work together to share it equally and sustainably." According to the research, two billion people worldwide do not have access to clean drinking water, and 3.6 billion do not have access to securely managed sanitation.