The world's water crisis is so severe it could take almost 30 years to eradicate hunger, the United Nations says. - BBC NEWS
It believes the goal of halving the proportion of hungry people by 2015 may be unattainable.
By 2020, the average water supply per person worldwide is expected be a third smaller than now.
The UN says political inaction and a lack of awareness are worsening the crisis.
The warning comes from the World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), which combines the efforts of 23 UN agencies. It is based in Unesco, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.
The programme has prepared a report - Water For People, Water For Life - for the third World Water Forum, to be held in the Japanese city of Kyoto from 16 to 23 March.
The report's chapter on agriculture says about 25,000 people die daily from hunger, with an estimated 815 million people.
Water Crisis In INDIA :
Of the 27 Asian cities with population of over 10 lakh (1 million), Chennai and Delhi have been ranked as the worst performing metropolitan cities in terms of water availability per day, while Mumbai is the second worst performer, and Kolkata the fourth worst.
The statistics on water shortage are alarming. By 2050, there will be 2.5 billion more people on the planet and a good majority will be born in nations already facing a terrible water shortage.
Water shortage has already led to a growing number of conflicts across the country, with 90 per cent of India's territory served by inter-state rivers.
India's supply of water is rapidly dwindling primarily due to mismanagement of water resources, although over-pumping and pollution are also significant contributors.
In India, there are numerous expert government committees to look at water supplies and management, yet there has been no progress. The situation is just getting worse. Experts say water should be priced higher just like electricity for people to use it more judiciously.
