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4.6 billion to face water scarcity due to climate change by 2050, says UN
Droughts expected to increase due to human-caused climate change as Africa continues to be the hardest-hit continent.
Luul Mohamed, 59 years old, displaced after fleeing the drought-affected Jawiil district, stands in front of her makeshift shelter at an IDP camp in Beletweyne, Hirshabelle state, Somalia, on 17 January 2022. [FAO/Arete/Ismail Taxta]

THE frequency and duration of droughts will continue to increase due to human-caused climate change, the United Nations warned in a report published on Wednesday.

The UN desertification agency estimates that roughly a third of the world’s population — 2.3 billion people — already faces water scarcity, with that number expected to double by 2050.

Although no region is spared, the report notes that Africa is the hardest-hit continent, with the Americas, India and Australia also highlighted as areas of particular concern at present and for the future.

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