Twenty-five countries, home to one-quarter of the world’s population, currently face extremely high water stress — meaning they regularly use up almost all their available supply. Another 1 billion people are expected to live with these conditions by 2050.  

Water stress is deeply intertwined with climate change, which is making droughts more severe and rainfall less predictable. But it’s also a byproduct of growing populations, rising industrial use and poor water management.

We looked at current and future water stress by country and what can be done to tackle the problem.

Severe erosion has depleted the soil and gummed up waterways near Africa’s Lake Kivu and Rusizi River Basin, sapping livelihoods for farmers and fishers alike. But thousands of local “restoration champions” are taking the solution into their own hands, one tree at a time. 

The loss of America’s once-vast prairies has led to worsening droughts, catastrophic wildfires and biodiversity loss. But restoration efforts in Texas’ LBJ National Grassland could offer a blueprint for reviving these critical ecosystems and safeguarding water supplies.

Big companies are increasingly setting sustainability targets, like cutting emissions and reducing water use. Yet new WRI research finds that few are working to support the people within their supply chains, who will play a central role in shifting business practices.

The New Global Possible highlights real climate solutions that are already transforming lives around the world — and explores how we can scale them to meet the urgency of today’s challenges. The book is out on September 9th. Proceeds from book sales will directly support WRI’s mission.