Since the beginning of summer this year, many places in the Northern Hemisphere have been hit by unusually high temperatures that have dried up rivers and led to frequent forest fires, and continuous droughts. 

The Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pointed out that global warming has increased faster since 1970 than in any other 50-year period over at least the last 2,000 years, and the instability of the climate system is increasing. 

In this scenario, drinking water has become one of the most precious resources in the world.

As climate change destroys the water cycle, and as global water use is on the increase year by year, the uneven distribution of water resources and the increasing demand will make water shortage a very sensitive topic and may cause conflict, a report by the French daily, Le Figaro said last Thursday. 

The report says many rivers and aquifers are shared by riparian countries, and there are high chances of water related conflict. Water scarcity exacerbates political instability. Therefore, the allocation of water resources is crucial to maintaining peace, the paper wrote. 

In addition to natural gas, drinking water is becoming a strategic resource due to multiple factors such as lingering high temperatures and droughts, according to an article published by Russia's internet journal, New Eastern Outlook, last Wednesday.

The extreme weather has lowered water levels of lakes and rivers or even dried them up in many European countries, and water shortage has become a reality in some regions of North America and Central Asia. 

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population may be facing water shortages. When waters run dry, people can't get enough to drink, wash, or feed crops, and economic decline may occur, WWF said.