Blog post -
Fast-track Solutions Required To Tackle Urban Drinking Water Scarcity
As people around the world marked World Population Day on July 11, water tech leader Bluewater called for more focus on long-term partnerships between public and private sectors to solve drinking water scarcity in the face of shrinking water availability and growing urban populations.
Bluewater, which is part of the Blue portfolio of sustainable investments, believes the threat of growing urban water scarcity demands even more joint effort by governments and business.
Noting that , the more people live in urban areas than in rural areas, with 55 % of the world’s population residing in urban areas in 2018, the company says management of urban water is already a serious challenge in many parts of the world. It says shrinking water availability and growing urban populations threatens a future of severe water shortages unless human ingenuity is fully harness to tackle the problems.
The scope of the problem has been pinpointed by the UN which says the most urbanized regions today include Northern America (with 82% of its population living in urban areas), Latin America and the Caribbean (81 %), Europe (74 %) and Oceania (68%). The level of urbanization in Asia is now approximating 50%. In contrast, Africa remains mostly rural, with 43% of its population living in urban areas
Turning words into action, Bluewater earlier this year launched its Imagine H2O Urban Drinking Water Scarcity Challenge 2018, which is designed to inspire innovation and action to help cities deal with drinking water scarcity. Applications exceeded all expectations in terms of quantity and quality of registrations and the winners will be honored at a special event at Stockholm Water Week, in the Swedish capital, on August 27, 2018.
You can learn more about the Bluewater Imagine H2O Challenger 2018 here
