UNITED NATIONS, Mar 31 2015 (IPS) - The lead author of a United Nations water report has spoken out about media depictions of his findings, denying the report lays out a “doom and gloom” scenario. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2015, released on Mar. 20 in conjunction with World Water Day, lays out a number of troubling findings. The report predicts a world water shortage of 40 percent by 2050, largely due to a forecasted 55-percent rise in water demand, spurred by increased industrial demands. It is estimated 20 percent of the world’s aquifers are over-exploited, and that shortages may lead to increased local conflicts over access to water. Water problems may also mean increased inequality and barriers to sustainable development. Despite the grim outlook, the report’s lead author, Richard Connor, laid out a different picture at the U.N. headquarters in New York Monday. “Most of the media attention [on the report] has focused on one message, a bit of a doom and gloom message, that there is a looming global water crisis,” Connor told a U.N. press briefing. “The report is not a gloom doom report. It has a road map to avoid this global water deficit.” Connor conceded, “[If] we don’t change how we do things, we will be in trouble,” but found many positives in the report. Much of the report focuses on how institutional and policy frameworks can, and must, protect and promote water security. “The fact is there is enough water available to meet the world’s growing needs, but not without dramatically changing the way water is used, managed and shared,” the report stated. “The global water crisis is one of governance, much more than of resource availability, and this is where the bulk of the action is required in order to achieve a water secure world.” Technology to improve water sanitation, recycling and efficiency is outlined as a major pathway to ensuring water security, to ensure water is used and reused as effectively as possible. Rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, and more effective water storage facilities to safeguard against the effects of climate change are also detailed as important areas for investment. On a government level, financing for water projects is also envisioned as a key component in a water secure future. “The benefits of investments in water greatly outweigh the costs,” Connor said. Also speaking at the briefing was Bianca Jimenez, director of hydrology for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). She too called the report “positive,” but stressed that swift action was needed to avoid catastrophic water shortages. “This calls for greater determination from all stakeholders involved, to take responsibility and take initiative in this crucial moment,” Jimenez said. The U.N. is currently reviewing progress made in the implementation of the International Decade of Action ‘Water For Life’, which ran from 2005 to 2015. Follow Josh Butler on Twitter at @JoshButler