The expected water shortage that no one is talking about…

18 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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In this brief commentary, Dan Novaes warns that the world is entering an accelerating freshwater crisis that is already unfolding but remains under‑reported. He highlights record‑low levels in the Colorado River and Lake Mead, widespread droughts across Europe, Africa, and Asia that are causing crop failures, and the rapid privatization of water through investors buying water rights and corporations controlling aquifers. Novaes argues that water will become the next strategic resource, sparking conflicts over rivers, destabilizing regions, inflating food prices, and potentially collapsing economies, drawing a parallel to how oil shaped 20th‑century geopolitics.

Chapters

Fresh water is running out. And it's happening faster than anyone expected. The Colorado river is drying up. Lake Mead is at record lows. Cities are rationing water. Droughts are hitting everywhere. Europe, Africa, Asia. Crops are failing. Investors noticed. They're buying water rights, privatizing aquifers, turning water into a commodity. In some places, corporations own the water supply. They charge whatever they want. People have no choice. They this is the next resource war. Countries will fight over rivers. Regions will collapse without access. Oil made the Middle east powerful. Water will determine which countries survive the next century. When water becomes scarce, everything changes. Food prices explode. Entire economies collapse. This is already happening. It's just not on the news yet.