The water cycle is the vital Earth process that moves freshwater and moisture around the planet, and for the first time in human history, that system is breaking down. A new report from the Global Commission on the Economics of Water lays out the dire situation, stating that demand could outstrip supply by 40 percent by the end of the decade.

Disturbances in the system that moves water around the world place more than half of global food production at risk

Decades of mismanagement of water resources, deforestation, and the fossil fuel-driven crisis of global warming have put “unprecedented stress” on the Earth’s water systems, according to a new report,

For the first time in human history, the global water cycle is dangerously out of balance due to decades of mismanagement, with impacts threatening both food security and economic stability.Rachel Frazin reports for The Hill.