Water scarcity in urban areas of developing countries resulting from water pollution and declining freshwater availability is driving farmers to use untreated wastewater from urban areas to irrigate crops is 50 per cent greater than previous estimates. And, five countries—China, India, Pakistan, Mexico and Iran—account for most of this cropland (“Global Use of Wastewater to Irrigate Agriculture At Least 50 Percent Greater Than Thought,” July 4, 2017). Technologies and incentives for developing low-energy intensive wastewater treatment facilities to protect public health are covered in this section.