Increasing urbanization (see Chapter 6) is causing specific
and often highly localized pressures on freshwater resource
availability, especially in drought-prone areas. More than
50% of people on the planet now live in cities, with 30%
of all city dwellers residing in slums. Urban populations
are projected to increase to a total of 6.3 billion by 2050
(WWAP, 2012). Developing countries account for 93% of
urbanization globally, 40% of which is the expansion of
slums. By 2030, the urban population in Africa and Asia will
double (UN-Habitat, 2010).