Worldwide water supply per person is set to drop by a third in the next two decades, and governments stand to worsen the problem by ignoring it, according to a U.N. study released today.

"Of all the social and natural crises we humans face, the water crisis is the one that lies at the heart of our survival and that of our planet Earth," said UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura, whose agency oversees the U.N.-wide World Water Assessment Program.

"No region will be spared from the impact of this crisis which touches every facet of life, from the health of children to the ability of nations to secure food for their citizens," Matsuura said.  "Water supplies are falling while the demand is dramatically growing at an unsustainable rate."

According to the report, Water for People, Water for Life, worst-case scenarios for water shortages foresee 7 billion people in 60 countries facing water shortages in 2050.  The report's more optimistic outlook predicts 2 billion people in 48 countries struggling with water scarcity by that time.

Many countries are already at risk today, according to the report, which ranked 180 countries and territories according to water conditions.  Kuwait and the Gaza Strip suffer the most acute water shortages today.  The United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas and Qatar fare little better.

The report sharply criticized what it called "inertia at the leadership level," saying governments today fail to recognize importance of water issues and take appropriate preventative steps to avoid future water crises. 

"Attitude and behavior problems lie at the heart of this crisis," the report said.  "Inertia at the leadership level and a world population not fully aware of the scale of the problem means we fail to take the needed timely corrective actions" (UNESCO release, March 5).