Climate change is tightening its grip on the world’s drinking water, threatening both safety and supply. Without urgent and coordinated adaptation of treatment systems, this overlooked vulnerability could compromise global water security.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Université Paris Cité, Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) and the European Union (ERC, CONCRETER, project number 101077837). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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Usman, M., Klepikova, M. & Hanna, K. Climate change demands coordinated adaptation strategies of drinking water treatment.
Nat. Clim. Chang. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02547-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02547-z
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