People and many industries depend on freshwater to survive. Resources are limited, and 50% of people and companies located in large cities across the globe struggle accessing a (standard) freshwater resource.
Climate change in the form of droughts, pollution, and a lack of rainfall are significant factors affecting global freshwater resources.
The World Economic Forum (2019) described the lack of freshwater resources as one of the most impactful global risks for the next ten years to come.
High water shortage is extremely harmful and may have larger societal affects such as political conflict.
Kitty Van Der Heijden, Head of International Cooperation at the Netherlands’ foreign ministry, put it this way, “If there is no water, people will start to move. If there is no water, politicians are going to try and get their hands on it, and they might start to fight over it”
According to the World Resources Institute, 17 countries experience “extremely high” water stress levels, affecting more than 2 billion people.
Crop loss from flooding and drought(s) can be aided by conserving, watersheds, and wetlands (including those around cities), and forests may aid in absorbing rainfall.
Charles Iceland, Head of Global and National Water Initiatives at WRI advised, “Where possible such green infrastructure should be used with or instead of traditional physical infrastructure like dams, levies (or) reservoirs… both because it can cost less and because it encourages the preservation of the ecosystem.”
