Economic water scarcity refers to what situation?

Economic water scarcity refers to a situation where water resources are available but are not effectively utilized due to a lack of infrastructure, financial resources, or management systems. This means that although there may be sufficient water present in a region, the inability to access, distribute, or use that water efficiently leads to a scarcity of water for certain populations or sectors.

This differs significantly from the other options: while abundant water sources would indicate that there is no scarcity, climate change causes scarcity through actual reductions in water availability, and efficient management of water consumption suggests that the existing resources are appropriately utilized. Therefore, economic water scarcity highlights the nuances in water access related to socio-economic factors rather than physical availability.