Can the water crisis hurt Asia's growth?

Water shortage is also likely to lead to political tensions and instability in the future

Among the most imminent threats to human survival over the next decade, Asia’s biggest challenge will be securing the region's water future. Over the last century, global water withdrawal has increased 1.7 times quicker than population growth in the same period. And as much as 64 per cent of these withdrawals are occurring in the Asian continent, according to the recent research report by The Economist Intelligence Unit, Liquidity Premium: Managing Asia’s Increasingly Scarce Water Resources. Projections suggest 40 per cent of developing Asia will face severe water shortages by 2030, leading to critical supply-demand gaps.

Agriculture today consumes around 70