Water

climate challenges, impacts and the emergence as a strategic resource

Abstract

Water crisis is a reality in different parts of the world, and according to the United Nations, approximately 2.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, representing 30% of the global population. Projections from the United Nations Development Programme (PNUD BRAZIL) indicate that by 2050, one in every four people will be impacted by water scarcity. In parallel, an alarming scenario presented by Nadaff (2023) suggests that nearly half of the planet's inhabitants are susceptible to facing severe water shortages for at least part of the year 2023. In light of these pieces of evidence, this work aims to present the relationship between climate and water use aspects and the water crisis; and have a discussion on the issue of water as the “new carbon”, that is, how water can attract the attention of the public and private sector in the same way that the carbon market did. To the methodology of this research, data from bibliographic sources, including scientific articles, newspaper articles, doctoral theses, and data from governmental and environmental bodies, using data collection, compilation and analysis, on three factors that impact the water: climate aspects, aspects of water use, and water is the new carbon. This article is divided into Introduction; Material and Methods; Results and discussions; Conclusion; and References. Thus, the significance of all the issues addressed in this article becomes evident, underscoring their importance for effective water resource management and conservation.