The world is "blindly travelling a dangerous path" of "vampiric overconsumption and overdevelopment", the report says.
Its publication comes before the first major UN water summit since 1977.
Thousands of delegates will attend the three-day gathering in New York which begins on Wednesday.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says water, "humanity's lifeblood", is being drained by "unsustainable water use, pollution and unchecked global warming".
The report, published by UN Water and Unesco, warns that "scarcity is becoming endemic" because of overconsumption and pollution, while global warming will increase seasonal water shortages in both areas with abundant water and those already strained.
Richard Connor, the lead author of the report, said that about 10% of the global population "currently lives in areas that are high or critical water stress".
According to the most recent UN climate report, published Monday by the IPCC expert panel, "roughly half of the world's population currently experience severe water scarcity for at least part of the year".
Mr Connor told reporters that "uncertainties are increasing" when it comes to global water supply.
"If we don't address it, there definitely will be a global crisis," he said.
Source: www.bbc.com
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