Desalination plants are crucial installations in the Arabian Gulf, providing fresh water for millions in the region to use in their everyday lives. Vast quantities of seawater are sucked into the plants, which are energy intensive and environmentally destructive.

Severe drought and water shortages are causing blackouts and threatening a range of businesses in Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo, authorities have said. Rio de Janeiro state's government warned on Friday that the Rio region was experiencing its worst-ever water crisis, while low water levels in the Paraiba do Sul river affected Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, which is suffering ts worst drought in nearly 100 years.

With the swelling ranks of Syrian refugees in Jordan, an overstressed river is at risk of going dry.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - In the hills to the east of Kuala Lumpur, the Klang River is clean enough for visitors to play in. But just a few hundred metres downstream, the water darkens and rubbish clogs the banks.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which publishes its colorful drought map every Thursday, this week is expected to show a slight decline in the dark brown parts of California suffering the most acutely from a drought that has parched the state four years in a row.