Whereas some countries are attempting improvements by desalination of sea water or other methods, the water shortage in the world's two most populous nations, India and China (together accounting for 38% of the world population) will hamper their efforts for more food production and industrial development. Moreover, their water shortage could exert considerable influence upon the world food situation through demand in the international grain market(16)
Both China and India have adopted the market economy system in an attempt to improve their living standards, and are trying to promote rapid economic development. In the process, however, the two countries run the risk of falling abruptly into the conditions of water stress or water shortage, due to the population growth and the improved living standards associated with increases in demand for food, as well as industrialization and urbanization associated with increases in demand for industrial and daily-life water. Both countries will need to make political efforts, in planning future development strategies, to enhance their water-intake efficiency by constructing more dams and canals, etc., convert their agriculture or industry to the systems with higher efficiency of water consumption, and to prevent water contamination, and so forth.
Note
(1) Ehlich, P. R. et al., The population Explosion, Simon and Schester, 1990.
(2) United Nations, World Population Projections to 2150, ESA/P/WP. 145, 1998.
(3) Meadows, D. H. et al., Beyond the Limits, Chelsea Green, 1992.
(4) United Nations, World Population Prospects： The 1996 Revision, Annex I： Demographic Indicators, 1996.
(5) United Nations, World Population Prospects： The 1992 Revision, 1993; United Nations, World Population Prospects： The 1994 Revisions, 1995.
