Will the Global Demand for Water Outstrip the Supply by 2030?
- by Evelyn Neumayr
A recent study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit and sponsored by Oracle Utilities, titled “Water for All?”,considers the preparedness of utilities to supply water to the current global population of over 7 billion people, with a further 1 billion expected by 2030. It compares strategies used by utilities in 10 major countries to address this challenge. This study’s findings show that wide-ranging water management efforts and large-scale investments must be made if utilities are to meet near-certain water stress—demand outstripping supply—by 2030. The report is based on an online survey of 244 executives of water utilities in these countries, supplemented by in-depth interviews with 20 water utility executives and independent experts. The research concludes that utilities worldwide expect to meet future demand, despite increased supply pressure on supplies, due to improvements in water productivity that the wide range of measures utilities and governments will take to ensure that water is used more efficiently. Read more about this here.