Water security is now a key US foreign policy priority
Almost half the global population will experience "severe water stress" by 2030. A new White House strategy aims to tackle the problem. Read More

A herder collects water for his sheep from a makeshift water well in Senegal. Conflict between herders and farmers has escalated because of dwindling water resources in Africa’s Sahel. Image courtesy of Grist via JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images.
This story was originally published by Grist. You can subscribe to its weekly newsletter here.
For the first time, the United States government will approach water scarcity as a national security issue, Vice President Kamala Harris said this week.
The policy shift is part of the newly announced White House Action Plan on Global Water Security, which aims to “elevate water security” as an international priority. The strategy calls on the U.S. to take steps to decrease instability caused by dwindling global water supplies, an issue made more severe by climate change.
“This action plan will help our country prevent conflict and advance cooperation among nations, increase equity and economic growth, and make our world more inclusive and resilient,” Harris said in a speech last week. “Water scarcity is a global problem, and it must be met with a global solution.”
