The 2018 United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) projected that nearly 6 billion people would suffer from clean water scarcity by 2050, driven by increasing water demand, reduced water resources, and pollution. However, this projection may be an underestimate, and the actual scarcity could be worse due to the underestimation of the effects of population and economic growth, unequal growth, accessibility, and needs. The report promotes nature-based solutions (NBS) but lacks concrete regulatory measures to address the clean water crisis. The authors argue that urgent action is needed to regulate demography and economy, enforce clear rules to limit pollution, preserve aquifers, and save water. They highlight the interlinkage between population and economic growth, water demand, resources, and pollution, emphasizing the need for local rather than global perspectives. The paper discusses the exponential growth in global population and GDP, which is linked to water scarcity, and the challenges posed by water demand, resource depletion, and pollution. It concludes that current solutions are inadequate and calls for more sustainable population and economic growth, with a focus on local rather than global issues.The 2018 United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR) projected that nearly 6 billion people would suffer from clean water scarcity by 2050, driven by increasing water demand, reduced water resources, and pollution. However, this projection may be an underestimate, and the actual scarcity could be worse due to the underestimation of the effects of population and economic growth, unequal growth, accessibility, and needs. The report promotes nature-based solutions (NBS) but lacks concrete regulatory measures to address the clean water crisis. The authors argue that urgent action is needed to regulate demography and economy, enforce clear rules to limit pollution, preserve aquifers, and save water. They highlight the interlinkage between population and economic growth, water demand, resources, and pollution, emphasizing the need for local rather than global perspectives. The paper discusses the exponential growth in global population and GDP, which is linked to water scarcity, and the challenges posed by water demand, resource depletion, and pollution. It concludes that current solutions are inadequate and calls for more sustainable population and economic growth, with a focus on local rather than global issues.