In the Guardian today, the above and:

Rainwater harvesting, the use of grey water in homes and an urgent campaign to reduce water usage across society are vital to prevent water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055, the government has been told.

Without intervention, England will face severe water shortages in the coming decades, as climate change-induced weather patterns, population growth and the expansion of industries such as water-intensive datacentres put excessive demand on supplies and endanger life, according to a House of Lords report published on Thursday.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/21/england-harvest-rainfall-water-usage-shortages-house-of-lords-report

There’s no mention of Scotland in the report and media operating in Scotland are not reporting on any similar issues here. Here’s why. From our November 2025 report:

Thanks to Dorothy for alerting me to this.

For the second time this weekend, the Guardian has been reporting on apocalyptic water shortages, from Newcastle to Namibia, but never thinking to ask about the water supply only miles to the north, in Scotland. It reminds me of the Scottish media’s aversion to the word ‘England‘ when they’re discussing drug supplies in Scotland, from Dumfries to Stornoway.

From the Guardian today:

Water shortages could derail UK’s net zero plans, study finds – Tensions grow after research in England finds there may not be enough water for planned carbon capture and hydrogen projects

What might they be missing by not looking north? Apologies to regulars.

Before comparing with the world, how much more fresh water does Scotland have than in England?

Scotland’s Loch Ness alone contains 7,452 million cubic meters of water, which is more than the combined volume of all lakes and reservoirs in England and Wales.

https://www.environment.gov.scot/our-environment/water/scotland-s-freshwater/ https://www.nature.scot/landscapes-and-habitats/habitat-types/lochs-rivers-and-wetlands/freshwater-lochs

England and Wales, by contrast, have far fewer natural lakes, with reservoirs like Rutland Water (12.5 km²) and Kielder Reservoir being among the largest, but their total volume is significantly less than Scotland’s.

http://www.fao.org/3/T0798E16.htm

Scotland’s water reserves are estimated at 5,500,000 liters per person, compared to England’s 134,000 litres per person, highlighting a vast disparity due to Scotland’s smaller population (around 5.5 million) and abundant resources compared to England’s larger population (around 56 million). Scotland is often cited as having around 90% of the UK’s freshwater resources, largely due to its extensive loch system and higher rainfall (averaging 1,500–3,000 mm annually compared to England’s lower averages, particularly in the south). https://www.studycountry.com/wiki/does-scotland-have-more-fresh-water-than-england https://www.thenational.scot/news/19515230.big-corporations-could-make-scotlands-water-next-oil/

Globally?

According to the US Geological Study, there’s around 1 200 to 1 500 litres of drinkable accessible water per person globally: https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-much-natural-water-there

Scots have around 3 666 times as much.

What could we do with that?

What it be immoral of us to sell it? The only country to ever not sell it valuable resources?