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Chennai, Sau Paulo, Mexico City, Tehran, Cape Town - these cities have all faced the threat of a ‘Zero Day’, or, having no fresh water left in their taps.

The UN says we’re entering a ‘water bankruptcy’ era, meaning our water ‘current accounts’ are running empty, while our ‘savings accounts’ - the long term stores of water deep underground - have been depleted, with some beyond repair.

So how did we get here?

From clearing forests for cattle grazing, to thirsty AI data centres, Rajan Datar examines the pressures on our global water supply and looks for solutions.

EXPERT WITNESSES:

Jayshree Vencatesan, Co Founder, Care Earth Trust, India

Augusto Getirana, research scientist at NASA's Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, USA

Prof Bridget Scanlon, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas.

Dr Jie-Sheng Tan Soo, Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, National University of Singapore

CREDITS:
Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Phoebe Keane
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
Sound mix: Cameron Ward

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