Global Scans · Clean Water and Sanitation · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 6. Ensure availability of water and sanitation for all.

• [New] In February of 2025, FDA will issue a proposed rule on the permanent listing of lake (non-water soluble) colour additives. Arnold & Porter
• [New] Approximately 50% of Iran's population could soon face a shortage of drinking water. Caliber.az
• [New] Iran's water crisis is affecting the Iranian regime's ability to provide electricity to its citizens, which could eventually lead to domestic unrest. Critical Threats
• [New] China's Sponge Cities, which incorporate permeable surfaces and green spaces that capture, filter, and store water, reducing flood risks and promoting water reuse, are an excellent example of how Green Cities can improve climate resilience. Future Cities - Africa Green Building Summit 2025
• [New] Decarbonization activity in the Humberside cluster alone could push the Anglian Water region into deficit as early as 2030, with a projected shortfall of 130 million liters per day by 2050. Yahoo News UK
• [New] The UK could face a national shortfall of nearly five billion liters of water per day by 2055. Yahoo News UK
• [New] By 2050, decarbonization in the UK will require an additional 860 million liters of water per day. Yahoo News UK
• [New] Without urgent action, the high water demands of industrial decarbonization could outpace supply in key regions as soon as 2030. Yahoo News UK
• [New] Water scarcity could become a significant stumbling block on the UK's path to net zero. Yahoo News UK
• [New] Global data center water consumption is projected to reach 560 billion liters in 2025. AstuteAnalytica India Pvt. Ltd.
• [New] According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2023 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey, Pennsylvania is projected to require a $24.3 billion investment over the next two decades to modernize and maintain its drinking water systems. City & State Pennsylvania
• [New] Responsible: Water companies, Ofwat, EA invest £10 billion into storm overflow improvements in England from 2025 to 2030 to improve over 2,500 overflows. GOV.UK
• [New] Based on current trajectories, by 2050 there will be a shortfall of nearly 5 billion liters of water per day in the UK (A summary of England's revised draft regional and water resources management plans, Environment Agency 2024). GOV.UK
• [New] Responsible: EA, water companies, regional water resources groups reduce water company abstraction from chalk streams by 126 million liters per day by 2030. GOV.UK
• [New] In the water sector, 2024 price review final determinations will see new investment in the water sector over the next 5 years, with water companies planning £3 billion of investment by 2030 into nature-based solutions and increasing biodiversity. GOV.UK
• [New] Water will be rationed if it does not rain in Tehran by December. CNN
• [New] As leaders convene in Belem, Brazil, home to the Amazon's water abundance but also sanitation scarcity, they have an opportunity to bridge discussions of waste and climate. Think Global Health
• Using monitoring data collected by Environment Canada over the last 20 years, we calculated that up to 16.3% of the variation in water quality could be attributed to wildfires. UBC Science
• While some advancements have been made towards reaching EU targets for water quality, quantity and flood preparedness, faster progress is needed across Europe to protect waters and better manage flood risks. Environment
• The global water crisis is increasing, with more than two billion people already without access to safe drinking water and global water demand projected to exceed supply by 40% as early as 2030. Walker Morris
• President Biden is committed to securing environmental justice and spurring economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment in housing, transportation, water and wastewater infrastructure, and health care. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Last updated: 07 December 2025