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Thirsty energy

The World Bank has released a series of publications on the importance of tackling the growing interlinkages between energy and water, as part of an initiative titled "Thirsty Energy." The brief, working paper, and initiative summary suggest that the already critical dependence of energy and water is likely to become even more acute considering growing demands of emerging economies and 'graduating' countries. The comprehensive working paper recalls the estimation that, by 2030 nearly half of the world's population will be living in areas of high water scarcity, which will affect energy and food security, and notes that 90% of global energy production is water intensive. Presenting the main global trends regarding water consumption, the report highlights the creation of a new global initiative named 'Quantifying the Tradeoffs of the Water and Energy Nexus,' which aims to assist developing countries to assess and quantify the social, environmental and economic tradeoffs of water in energy plans.

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