Many of the challenges confronting the world today are rooted in the human factor. Among them, perhaps the most alarming is the damage inflicted on nature as a byproduct of rapid development. Climate change has become a defining issue of our era, with rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and growing pressure on natural resources. Alongside the effort to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius, the depletion of water resources has emerged as one of the most critical global threats.

While water covers about 71% of the Earth’s surface, only 2.5-2.6% of it is fresh water. Even more striking is the fact that nearly 70% of this fresh water is locked in glaciers and snow cover, while much of the remainder lies underground. Rivers, lakes, and other surface waters - those most accessible for human use - account for less than 1% of global water resources. As a result, water scarcity is no longer a regional issue but a global crisis. Today, around 4 billion people experience serious water shortages during certain periods of the year, and more than 25 countries face “high water stress,” using over 80% of their available freshwater annually. Over the past half-century, freshwater availability per capita has steadily declined, a trend that, if left unaddressed, could trigger food insecurity,........

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