The World Economic Forum (WEF) has recently released the 16th edition of ‘The Global Risks Report 2021’ analysing the risks from societal fractures to human health, rising unemployment, widening digital divides, youth disillusionment, and geopolitical fragmentation.
Epidemics lead biggest short-term risks and this current trend could lead to future stagnation in advanced economies and lost potential in emerging and developing markets. Although water is not clearly mentioned in the list, it can be identified within the environmental risks that are leading the top positions in the chart.
–Top-risks by likelihood: Extreme Weather Event (1st place), Climate Action Failure (2nd place), Human Environmental Damage (3rd place)
–Top-risks by impact: Biodiversity Loss (4th place), Natural Resource Crises (5th place).
Extreme weather events and natural disasters are often water related. In years to come, floods and droughts are set to strike harder and more often due to climate change. The most dramatic consequence of climate change is its impacts on the water cycle, which also means more unpredictable rainfall episodes. Therefore, extreme weather events cause the major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.
Water is the common denominator of these top global risks and the upcoming years will be decisive for the fight against climate change and save what is left of our biodiversity. Check the full report to know more.
