Investing in Water Security = High Return on Investment

With less than one year to go before the 8th World Water Forum takes place in Brasilia in March 2018, the World Water Council (WWC) calls on all governments to focus on water issues and prioritize water resources and management.

“This is in accordance with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to make water and sanitation for all a reality by 2030. Actions and investments are needed at the highest political level to deliver safe water and sanitation universally”, the association stresses. According to the latest figures from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme in 2015, 91 percent of the global population uses an improved drinking water source, up from 76 percent in 1990. “However, due to poor quality water and poor management, improved water sources do not equate to access to safe drinking water”, WWC points out. “However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, a lot remains to be done, as approximately one-third of the population is still without improved access to drinking water sources.” As reported, the global progress achieved in access to sanitation lags far behind water, as the Millennial Development Goal (MDG) for sanitation failed to meet its target. By the time the MDG reached its deadline in 2015, it was estimated that 32 percent (2.4 billion) people globally still did not have access to improved sanitation facilities. Despite the global achievements in improved water sources, it is estimated that at least 25 percent of improved water sources are essentially unsafe due to various reasons, including, among others, the presence of fecal contaminants.

According to World Water Council President Benedito Braga, for every dollar invested in water and sanitation, there is an estimated 4.3 Dollar return in the form of reduced health care costs for individuals and society worldwide. “And this does not take into account the benefits to global development, which enables countries and societies to progress economically, culturally and politically. For example, for every one billion Dollar invested in water and waste water, an estimated 28.500 jobs will be created”, he is convinced.

Therefore, it is important to invest in infrastructure that improves water security and resilient management of resources for populations, for economies, and for the environment, WWC argues. Businesses were increasingly aware of the importance of investment in sustainable water resources management.

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