Water Scarcity
Wanted to post this article on the heals of the World Water Day. Every year notable brands unveil new initiatives that reduce the impact of their supply chains on the global water scarcity. They partner with charities and other organizations to raise awareness about water scarcity and report current status, and successes.
We have made a lot of progress however a great deal of work is still needed to improve the growing global water scarcity crisis. The financial, economic and social toll on countries suffering the most is too great to ignore. Many of these countries have been in a state of developmental arrest for decades.
Let’s first review what has been accomplished recently.
Positive trends
Major companies like Ecolabs, DOW, and Microsoft have been working on expanding their efforts to help other companies develop sustainable supply chains and manufacturing processes to respond to water availability and quality challenges.
Ecolab has partnered with Microsoft to developed the Water Risk Monetizer that enables companies to visualize and assess future water risks in their decision making processes. Monetizer’s risk assessment profile includes water availability and water quality, this allows companies to develop a comprehensive risk register to transition towards a sustainable model.
Experts and researchers predict that the global demand for water will exceed the supply by as much as 40 percent by 2030.
Most executive leaders agree that the impacts of water scarcity on business are complex and far-reaching, companies need to go beyond simply using less to reuse and recycling. The Monetizer provides data that not only encourages conservation but also helps make circular water management an important and viable option to ensure a more sustainable future for companies and society.
Recently United Nations (UN) published a new report that states that improved wastewater management has the potential to unlock economic returns, reduce water scarcity and help achieve water-related targets outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Here is great example of how much water is used to produce various things we take for granted
Current status
Over 2/3rd of the global population live in areas where water scarcity is a daily reality and 500 million live in areas where water consumption is double the amount of local supply. And by 2030, 33 countries are expected to be at risk from water stress. But according to Wastewater: The Untapped Resource, once treated, wastewater could prove invaluable in meeting the growing demand for freshwater and raw materials, as well as enhancing food security. Wastewater even has the potential to produce renewable energy. Additionally, the report points out that for every $1 spent on sanitation improvements, $5 will be returned to society.
Head winds
Wealthy countries have wastewater treatment technologies and practices however in lower-middle income countries only 28% of the wastewater is treated. The percentage of wastewater treated reduces greatly for low income countries, only 8% of wastewater is treated.
High cost associated with the current wastewater treatment technologies and systems, current solutions require a significant investment in infrastructure and large centralized facilities. Low-cost solutions that are decentralized and minimize the infrastructure needs need to be developed and implemented. Demand for such systems will also lower costs and hence legislation’s need to be enacted to drive water sustainability.
Summary
Solving the global water scarcity will require the support of everybody, society needs to embrace this challenge as a whole and look at the “Big Picture” and work together to solve this challenge.
The author, KetanDeshpande, lives in Minnesota and writes about a variety of topics in his blog such as global economy, market and industry trends, successful strategies for businesses, and others. Leveraging his global strategic leadership experience from the manufacturing industry to offer insights in to how businesses can meet the sustainable growth and profitability goals.
Ketan Deshpande is also passionate about sustainability and renewable energy; he curates and shares latest updates in his blog posts. Recently the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency(SMMPA) of Litchfield, Minnesota, endorsed Ketan Deshpande for an energy conservation project.
This blog also features memorable events, travel experiences and his favorite places to visit in the great state of Minnesota.
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Interesting.