The World Bank estimates that by 2035, as many as three billion people, almost all of them in developing countries, could live under conditions of severe water stress, especially if they happen to live in Africa, the Middle East, or South Asia. This will cause obvious hardship, but it will also hold back the economic growth needed for millions of people to escape poverty.
目前，全世界10多亿人都无法得到清洁的用水。因此，他们的健康日益受到威胁。世界银行估计，到2035年，多达30亿人可能在严重缺水的条件下生活，这些人几乎全部来自发展中国家，特别是非洲、中东或南亚。这显然会带来苦难，还会阻碍经济发展，而发展正是成百上千万人摆脱贫困的关键。