According to forecasts, by 2050, water scarcity in Central Asia could reach 20–30%. This will become a serious threat to agriculture, energy, and the sustainable livelihoods of millions of people in the region.

India wants to divert "surplus water" from three rivers that flow into Pakistan to its states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Work is underway to build a 113-kilometer-long canal to this end.

According to the calculations of the European Commission, one third of the population of the EU countries faces the problem of water shortage. In the future, the issue could lead to increased competition for water resources and conflicts within and between states over transboundary water resources, according to a classified document obtained by Politico.