Morning Briefing

In a special report on water the Economist examines the causes of and growing concerns over increasing scarcity around the world. "Bringing supply and demand into equilibrium will be painful, and political disputes may increase in number and intensify in their capacity to cause trouble. To carry on with present practices would indeed be to invite disaster," the magazine states. "The proportion of people living in countries chronically short of water, which stood at 8% (500m) at the turn of the 21st century, is set to rise to 45% (4 billion) by 2050," the Economist reports. "And already 1 billion people go to bed hungry each night, partly for lack of water to grow food."