Population growth, urban development, farm production, and climate change is increasing competition for fresh water across the globe. Water shortages are becoming so acute that virtually every industry in the world anticipates extensive systemic transformation over the next decade.

Virtually all sectors of the economy will need to transform as a result of water shortages, and should include some if not all of the following in their future strategic planning, production practices, and business models:

Public Common Resources / Equitable Access

Access to clean water is a basic human right, which is why one of the key United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is ensuring access to drinking water. Many developing countries are striving to reform water rights, but there is still a long way to go.

R&D / Innovation

Access to water in a water-scarce world is set to become a much higher priority in business decisions, and this could and should lead to public/private partnerships that draw on the innovative capacities of companies.

A good example of this would be cities that operate sewage treatment plants pursuing partnerships with clean-energy producers to fertilise algae and other biofuel crops with wastewater.

Water Projects in Developing Countries / Transfer of Technology

The most dramatic consequences of climate change and water scarcity are very evident in developing regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. The problem is that these countries do not possess the relevant water conservation technologies or the finances required to improve the problem.

Introducing these kinds of technologies as well as the skills required is vital for their future growth and even their mere survival.

Population Growth Control

One of the most controversial solutions is Population Growth Control, but the accelerating growth in global population could see a supply-demand gap of up to 65% in water resources by 2030. Around 70% of the world’s freshwater is used for agriculture, so, with around one billion people currently without access to clean water, water’s critical role in food production must be considered as climate and resource conditions change.

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