Shortage of clean water is becoming global environmental challenge - Abramchenko

MOSCOW. Jan 26 (Interfax) - A shortage of clean water is becoming an increasingly acute global environmental challenge, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Victoria Abramchenko said at the plenary session of Ecology Day, which is being held on Friday as part of the Russian International Exhibition and Forum.

According to Abramchenko, global experts say that demand for clean water will exceed 50% of the availability of clean fresh water by 2030.

"International financiers say that by 2050 world GDP will decrease by 6% because there will not be enough clean water. What does that mean? It means a slowdown in industrial capacity. It will affect those projects that, including in the digital sphere, are being developed now. And in the future, the shortage [of clean water - IF] will only increase. This is a big, global environmental challenge," she said.

"Russia ranks second in terms of fresh water reserves. We have accumulated unique experience. And the team at the Natural Resources Ministry is working on it, solving, in particular, the problem of transboundary rivers. Wastewater treatment, equitable international water sharing, production of fresh water from other sources - all this will be of great importance in the near future. If we do not take into account the risks associated with fresh water scarcity, we will artificially slow down our development," she said.