I guess that by now we are all well aware of how important water is to the human body, and that if we do not drink water throughout the day we will become dehydrated and ill, but how many of us have ever really thought about how important water is to the economy?
Yes, we all know that water is used in the manufacturing and agriculture industries, and that it also helps supply energy and sometimes transport; that it also provides us with pleasurable leisure pursuits, but how does it affect the economy?
The Importance of Water to the Economy
Around 75% of the global workforce is made up of jobs that are either moderately or heavily dependent on water. This poses a problem in that with the foreseen future global water shortages, there will be less access to water and sanitation, which could severely throttle economic growth and job creation.
According to the 2016 World Water Development Report, half of the world’s workers – 1.5 billion people – are employed in eight water and natural resource-dependent industries.
The Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova said, “Water and jobs inextricably linked on various levels, whether we look at them from an economic, environmental or social perspective. This edition of the World Water Development Report breaks new ground by addressing the pervasive relationship between water and jobs to an extent not yet seen in any other report.†The report was launched on World Water Day 2016, and demonstrates the vital role that water will assume in the transition to a green economy in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Director-General of the ILO and Chair of UN-Water, Guy Ryder stated that, “This analysis highlights the fact that water is work – it requires workers for its safe management and at the same time it can create work and improve conditions. If the 2030 Agenda is to be a success and we are to build together a sustainable future, we must ensure that work in water is decent and that the water we all rely on is safe.†Water is a key factor in the creation of jobs, from its extraction to its return to the environment, and while there is a lack of data, particularly when it comes to determining the extent to which jobs are dependent on water and around the precise relationship between water, economic growth and jobs, various studies have found correlations between water related investments and economic growth. Investment in small-scale water projects in Africa could reach an estimated economic return of nearly 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) of the continent, and in the U.S. every US$1 million invested in traditional water supply and treatment infrastructure generates around 15 additional jobs. Get bottled water coolers and mains water coolers from Living-Water. Rent water coolers and buy water coolers in London for your home and office.
