India, April 17 -- India, home to nearly 18% of the global populace and armed with only 4% of Earth's freshwater resources, stands precariously on the brink of a severe water crisis in the next two years, states the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its Global Risk Report 2025. The fifth-largest economy in the world ranks down at 133rd spot in per-capita water availability index while being the second-largest consumer of water, using 20.1% of global water resources.

India's growing water stress may weigh on its sovereign credit strength, credit rating agency Moody's warned last year. How can India avert the looming threat? The thought takes up a wider mindspace when the fear of going parched begins to haunt. By optimising the usage, suggest ...