Sublime

Water scarcity, on the other hand, occurs when people want more water than is available. This distinction matters: droughts often cause water scarcity, but the social and economic disruptions that follow from drought are a result of how water is managed, not because droughts can’t be anticipated.

become more frequent, wiping out harvests more often. Livestock eat less and produce less meat and milk. The air and soil lose moisture, leaving less water available for plants; in South

When severe drought hit ancient Egypt or medieval India, it was not uncommon that 5 or 10 per cent of the population perished.

and the Jamuna are effectively dead. India and China have also witnessed, in recent years, the large-scale depletion of groundwater aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the destruction of forests, and the decimation of fish-stocks.