Coping with water scarcity: challenge of the twenty - first century
Water scarcity affects all social and economic sectors and threatens the sustainability of the natural resource base. In addressing the issue of water scarcity, an inter-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach needs to be taken to maximize the economic and social welfare benefits of new policies. It is also essential to take into account development, supply, use and demand, and to place the emphasis on people, their livelihood and the ecosystems that support them.