Why Businesses Must Act Together to Alleviate the Global Water Crisis
By 2030, the UN predicts that demand for water will outstrip supply by 40 percent. Freshwater is increasingly scarce in drought-prone regions due to climate change, population growth and over-exploitation. More than two billion people lack access to safe water and sanitation, placing the UN social development goal of universal access by 2030 almost beyond reach.
To preserve water resources, concerted and collective action is crucial
Water is a shared resource, but with climate change intensifying water shortages, the stage is set for conflict over who gets access to this vital asset. Companies are the world’s largest water users, with nearly two-thirds of all freshwater resources going into the production of ingredients for corporate supply chains, from food to chemicals. In times of scarcity, governments will always prioritize human consumption and food bowls first. Organizations are discovering this to their cost, as lawsuits and injunctions attest.
Source: World Economic Forum (link opens in a new window)
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- WASH
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- climate change
