There is no two ways about it; water and energy are highly interdependent and tightly interlinked, and any choices made in one domain will directly or indirectly be of consequence to the other. Some consequences may be positive, but others may be extremely negative, so we have to be very careful just how we manage either.
Which type of energy production is used will depend on the volume of water required to produce said energy, and the location and availability of freshwater resources will determine the amount of water that can be secured for producing that energy.
Our challenge is in extending basic services to all amid the many regional and global crises of poverty, health, hunger, climate, and finance that threaten the livelihood of billions of individuals globally.
Between 768 million and 3.5 billion individuals globally are still without access to an improved source of water and sanitation; add to this the 1.3 billion who still do not have access to electricity, and approximately 2.6 billion who till use solid fuels (mainly biomass) for cooking, and we have a huge problem. These individuals are the same individuals who suffer from respiratory diseases caused by indoor air pollution, and who are dying like flies from diarrhoea and related waterborne diseases.
It is evident in the face of this and the prediction that global water demand is set to increase by around 55% by 2050 due to growing demands from a burgeoning population, that something drastic needs to be done. The demand for energy will also increase by more than one-third over the period to 2035, and the demand for electricity is expected to grow by approximately 70% by 2035.
This is one of the reasons why what our Global Leaders decide on at COP21 had belter be in the best interests of the whole planet, and had better contain some very innovative ideas as to how to avoid a tragedy as far as freshwater and energy supplies go. Hopefully they will also incorporate some method of ensuring that every country lives up to their promises – now – there is no more time left.
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