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Letter: How to approach an era of water bankruptcy

Published 4 February 2026

From Carl Hinton, Northampton, UK

Calling the current water crisis “water bankruptcy” is more than a metaphor; it is an accurate diagnosis. Like financial collapse, it results not from a single dramatic failure but from countless routine decisions that quietly overspend a finite resource. What stands out is not a lack of knowledge. The science is clear, and has been for some time. The problem is behavioural: evidence accumulates faster than willingness to act on it. If this is truly an era of water bankruptcy, the open question is whether societies can change course before the costs become unavoidable (24 January, p 8).

Issue no. 3581 published 7 February 2026

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