Water Security ‘Pivotal’ For Global Planning, Development & Investment

Water is something that many of us take for granted, but water stress and scarcity is fast becoming one of the biggest problems facing most parts of the world – and freshwater availability margins are now tightening globally.

This point was emphasised by Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, during a speech at the recent WWT Water Security in a Changing Environment conference, where she pointed out that maintenance of both social order and mankind’s well being are heavily dependent on water quantity and quality.

Ms Boyd explained that water now needs to form as big a part of international climate discussions as net zero and carbon emissions, with water security made central to all decisions regarding global development, planning and investment.

She went on to say that this is why, in part, she has issued a call for industrialised nations to deliver $100 billion in climate aid to developing countries, which was promised back in 2009. However, despite this commitment being repeated over the last 12 years and at the G7 summit last month (June), it is still unclear as to when this will take place.

It’s thought that by 2050, the numbers lacking sufficient water for at least one month out of the year could rise from 3.6 billion to over five billion. In Southern Madagascar, for example, the region’s worst drought in 40 years is now being seen, with over 1.14 million people facing food insecurity and around 14,000 people “already in catastrophic conditions”.

And this is happening despite the fact that this part of the world hasn’t contributed anything to climate change… yet the people are paying the biggest price.

Ms Boyd went on to say that not providing climate aid “diminishes our relationship with countries on the frontline of water scarcity. It is also against our national self-interest, because how those countries deal with new extremes is an experience we need to learn from, and will increasingly pay for”.

Any businesses concerned about the availability of freshwater supplies can take action now to ease pressure on mains water, prioritising water stewardship and reducing their water footprint quite significantly.

A water steward not only focuses on internal water management, but also commits to sustainable management of shared water resources, working in collaboration with other companies, governments, communities and non-government organisations.

Every single business operation depends on water, so it’s essential that we stop taking this finite resource for granted. By becoming a steward, you can drive all sorts of benefits for your business, everything from reducing operational risks as a result of limited water availability to delivering cost savings, boosting your green credentials and improving stakeholder relationships.

Do you want to find your water supplier? Get in touch with the team here at SwitchWaterSupplier.com to see how we can help.