1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to prioritize comprehensive water conservation legislation in response to the alarming findings in the recent United Nations report on global water bankruptcy. This is not a temporary crisis but a permanent depletion of resources that will determine whether our grandchildren inherit a livable future. The U.N. report, authored by Kaveh Madani, director of the U.N. University's Institute for Water, Environment and Health, reveals that humanity has been living beyond our hydrological means. About 70% of the world's major aquifers are experiencing long-term declines due to excessive pumping, and more than half of the world's large lakes have shrunk since the 1990s. Approximately 3 billion people and more than half of global food production are concentrated in areas where water resources are in decline. This affects our region directly. The Colorado River and its depleted reservoirs, on which California and western states depend, represent a hot spot of chronic overuse. Land subsidence linked to groundwater overpumping is occurring across more than 2.3 million square miles, nearly 5% of global land area. About 35% of the planet's natural wetlands, nearly the size of the European Union, have been wiped out since the 1970s. As Madani emphasizes, water bankruptcy is about management, not scarcity alone. Like financial bankruptcy, we must preserve remaining capital while cutting spending. This requires immediate regulatory action on agricultural water use, which accounts for approximately 70% of global consumption, while providing farmers with assistance to adapt and transition to sustainable practices. I urge you to champion legislation that establishes enforceable limits on water extraction, invests in water-efficient agricultural technology, and protects remaining wetlands and aquifers. The decisions you make today will determine whether future generations have access to this fundamental resource. Please act with the urgency this crisis demands.