Water scarcity affects nearly 350 million children in South Asia: UN

More children in South Asia are struggling due to severe water scarcity made worse by the effects of climate change than anywhere else worldwide, the United Nations says.

“A staggering 347 million children under 18 are exposed to high or extremely high water scarcity in South Asia, the highest number among all regions in the world,” the UN Children’s Agency said in a report on Monday.

“Climate change is disrupting weather patterns and rainfall, leading to unpredictable water availability,” the UNICEF said in its report.

The report cites poor water quality, lack of water and mismanagement such as over-pumping of aquifers, while climate change decreases the amount of water replenishing them.

Last year, 45 million children lacked access to basic drinking water services in South Asia, more than any other region, but UNICEF said services were expanding rapidly, with that number slated to be halved by 2030.