Paper Title:

Current Directions in Water Scarcity Research

Dericks Praise Shukla.

Water is considered to be one of the most important resources as it is essential for social and economic development. Scarcity of water has become a global cause of concern, especially in megacities. These cities are facing water stress due to several reasons, but mainly it can be attributed to continuous population growth and inadequate water management. Other factors like climate change, geographical location, and economic conditions also play a role in water scarcity. In megacities, water scarcity can be generally divided into economic and physical scarcity. Economic water scarcity includes poor infrastructure investment and poor technology for acquiring water, while physical water scarcity includes environmental dilapidation and groundwater depletion. This chapter presents an overview on the development of megacities and focuses on the water challenges faced by them. It assesses the problems and factors which are the cause of mounting water stress in megacities. In addition, the chapter proposes possible solutions to water scarcity experienced by megacities and raises concerns about the persistent growth of megacities.