If you ask people in dry regions what they value most, water usually comes first. It is basic and expensive at the same time. Yet scarcity is no longer limited to deserts. Population growth, old pipes and uneven access are reshaping how water is experienced in cities across the world. The World Bank estimates that by 2050, more than a billion people will live in urban areas without enough reliable water. Supply is not expanding to meet that demand. In this setting, Latin America occupies an unusual place. A large share of the planet’s renewable freshwater is found in South America. Brazil, Colombia and Peru all rank among the countries with the most water. The figures suggest security, but daily life tells a more complicated story.
