Freshwater

Significant water scarcities already exist in some regions of the OECD and many regions of non-OECD countries. More than 3.9 billion people (47% of the world population) are expected to live in areas with severe water stress by 2030, mostly in non-OECD countries. This chapter examines trends and projections in water stress, public water supply, urban waste water treatment, nitrogen pollution and soil erosion by water. It highlights the good policy principles to address the main water challenges. Much progress remains to be made to integrate water management into sectoral (e.g. agriculture) and land use policies, ensure a more consistent application of the polluter pays and user pays principles through water pricing and reduce subsidies that increase water problems.