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Water Scarcity: A Global Crisis
Water scarcity affects almost every continent and more than 40 percent of the people on our planet. Water scarcity, or lack of fresh-water access is beginning to impact every sector of business and industry.
1
By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water stressed conditions.
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Water risks are rapidly materializing for business: Disclosing companies reported US $14 billion in water-related impacts this year, a five-fold increase from last year.1
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Over a quarter of companies have experienced detrimental impacts from water, and companies expect over half (54%) of the 4,416 water risks they identified to materialize within the next six years.2
1Information Provided by United Nations research on water.
22016 CDP Survey: 1,252 of the largest companies (on the MSCI All Country World Index) on behalf of 643 investors representing $67T assets.
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Barclays – Water Scarcity
Thinking about water differently. There are no easy answers to the water crisis, but there’s no question that action needs to be taken now. Because water is a shared resource, companies must adapt to a new era, and work with local communities, government and industries…
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BlackRock — Troubled Waters: Water Stress Risks to Portfolios
Water stress is just one of many sustainability -related risks that we believe are becoming increasingly salient over time. Overall, the results underscore BlackRock’s conviction that these risks cannot be ignored – and that integrating them into investment processes….
In 2020, the World Economic Forum indicated water scarcity risks were as dangerous as Weapons of Mass Destruction, but more probable.*
| Greatest Threat | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| 1st | Climate Action Failure | Weapons of Mass Destruction | Weapons of Mass Destruction | Weapons of Mass Destruction | Climate Action Failure |
| 2nd | Weapons of Mass Destruction | Extreme Weather | Extreme Weather | Climate Action Failure | Weapons of Mass Destruction |
| 3rd | Water Crisis | Water Crisis | Natural Disasters | Extreme Weather | Biodiversity Loss |
| 4th | Involuntary Migration | Natural Disasters | Cliamte Action Failure | Water Crisis | Extreme Weather |
| 5th | Energy Price Shock | Cliamte Action Failure | Water Crisis | Natural Disasters | Water Crisis |
*www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2020
“Water as an asset class, in my view, will eventually become the single most important physical commodity – dwarfing oil, copper, agricultural commodities, and precious metals.”
– Willem Buiter, Chief Economist, Citigroup
By 2050, the world will need to feed an estimated two billion additional people.
As water becomes increasingly regulated and scarce – some estimates indicate industrial and residential water will become a $3.0 Trillion (USD) industry.
The National Geographic Society