South Asia Tops Global List for Child Water Scarcity, UN Warns

More children in South Asia are facing severe water scarcity, worsened by climate change, than anywhere else in the world, according to the United Nations.

“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 globally,” the UN children’s agency said in a report.

The eight-nation region—including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—is home to over a quarter of the world’s children.

“Climate change is disrupting weather patterns and rainfall, leading to unpredictable water availability,” the report noted.

The study highlights factors such as poor water quality, scarcity, and mismanagement—like over-pumping of aquifers—while climate change reduces natural replenishment of water sources. “When village wells go dry, homes, health centres and schools are all affected,” UNICEF added.

“With an increasingly unpredictable climate, water scarcity is expected to worsen for children in South Asia,” the report said.

At the UN COP28 climate conference in Dubai this December, UNICEF will urge leaders to act to “secure a livable planet.”

“Safe water is a basic human right,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF chief for South Asia. “Yet millions of children in South Asia don’t have enough to drink in a region plagued by floods, droughts, and other extreme weather events, increasingly driven by climate change.”

Last year, 45 million children in the region lacked access to basic drinking water services, more than any other region. UNICEF noted that while services are expanding rapidly, the number is projected to be halved by 2030.