Environmental Studies and Forestry

Urban water crises driven by elites' unsustainable consumption

E. Savelli, M. Mazzoleni, et al.

Over the past two decades, over 80 metropolitan cities worldwide have struggled with significant water shortages due to drought and unsustainable water management. This research highlights the role of social inequality in exacerbating these crises, where urban elites consume water disproportionately, leaving less-privileged populations without basic access. Conducted by authors Elisa Savelli, Maurizio Mazzoleni, Giuliano Di Baldassarre, Hannah Cloke, and Maria Rusca, this study uses groundbreaking modeling techniques to reveal critical insights into urban water use dynamics.