GLOBAL WATER CRISIS: HALF OF MAJOR CITIES FACE SEVERE STRESS
Half of the world’s 100 largest cities face high water stress, with 38 in regions of “extremely high” stress, according to new analysis. Beijing, New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Delhi face extreme stress, while London, Bangkok and Jakarta are highly stressed.
NASA satellite data shows around 1.1 billion people live in cities experiencing long-term drying trends, with Tehran, Chennai and Zhengzhou among the worst affected. Tehran, now in its sixth year of drought, is perilously close to “day zero” — when no water will be available for citizens.
The UN recently declared the world has entered “water bankruptcy,” with some water resource deterioration now permanent. Global freshwater reserves are falling by roughly 324 billion cubic metres annually.
In the UK, England may need an additional 5 billion litres per day by 2055, prompting the government to publish a new water white paper.
Source: Rachel Salvidge, “Half the World’s 100 Largest Cities are in High Water Stress Areas,” The Guardian, 22 Jan. 2026.
ZERO HUNGER BY 2030 DEEMED “IMPOSSIBLE”
Despite producing enough food to sustain the world’s 8.2 billion residents, a devastating report reveals that one in 11 people go hungry every day. In 2024 alone, 673 million people experienced hunger, highlighting a severe regression in global food security that has failed to recover since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The global crisis has reached catastrophic levels in several conflict-ravaged regions. Currently, 770,000 people are facing famine conditions. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) confirmed famines in Sudan in late 2024 and Gaza in the summer of 2025. Hundreds of thousands more are enduring famine-like conditions in Haiti, Mali, Yemen, and South Sudan.
According to the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI), 42 countries are experiencing “serious” or “alarming” levels of hunger. Somalia ranks as the hungriest country in 2025, while nations like Syria have seen their hunger scores more than double since 2000 due to protracted conflict.
Experts point to three primary drivers fueling this global emergency:
• Conflict: Armed violence remains the leading cause, creating food crises for nearly 140 million people across 20 regions last year.
• Climate Change: Environmental disasters are now a constant threat, bringing devastating droughts to the Horn of Africa and severe floods to South Sudan.
• Economic Instability: Inflation and supply chain disruptions have left 2.8 billion people—roughly 35% of the global population—unable to afford a healthy diet.
Tragically, children bear the heaviest burden. Hunger claims ~9 million lives annually, and malnutrition is linked to 50% of all child deaths worldwide.
Addressing this crisis is becoming increasingly difficult as humanitarian budgets shrink. “Crisis fatigue” has led to severe funding shortfalls, with the World Food Program facing cuts of up to 40% this year, forcing the suspension of life-saving nutrition services.
With progress stalling heavily in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, experts concede that the global goal of achieving “Zero Hunger” by 2030 is now impossible. At the current pace of intervention, the world will not reach even low hunger levels until 2137. Humanitarian organizations are urgently calling for a dual approach of emergency food aid paired with long-term agricultural and economic solutions to avert a century of continued starvation.
Source: Concern Worldwide US. https://concernusa.org/
NORTH AMERICA’S LARGEST WILDLIFE OVERPASS OPENS
North America’s largest wildlife overpass is now open over Interstate 25 near Larkspur, Colorado. Completed by the Colorado Department of Transportation in under a year, the Greenland overpass spans six highway lanes to reconnect 39,000 acres of vital habitat.
Measuring 41,800 square feet and covered in native dirt and vegetation, the massive bridge provides safe passage for moose, elk, bears, mountain lions, and pronghorn. As part of the broader I-25 South Gap Project, officials expect this crossing system to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by 90%. Previously, the dangerous 18-mile stretch averaged one crash per day during peak migration seasons.
