Drought will double the number of people living in urban areas facing water scarcity by 2050, a new report released by the United Nations (UN) on Tuesday showed.

The UN World Water Development report, released ahead of the upcoming UN 2023 Water Conference, found that the global population facing urban water scarcity is expected to rise to between 1.7 billion and 2.4 billion people by 2050, up from 930 million in 2016.

It noted that the shrinking availability of safe drinking water will affect plant life and animals alike while highlighting collaborative ways people can work together to overcome common challenges to avoid a water crisis.

“There is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “Water is our common future, and it is essential to act together to share it equitably and manage it sustainably.”

Last August, the United Nations Children’s Fund, also known as UNICEF, warned that children in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel region could die because of water insecurity. The number of people without access to safe water in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia had increased dramatically to 16.2 million from 9.5 million.

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