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An image of the Earth shaped in the form of a droplet of water falling onto parched earth.

Water in 2050

Water is a critical factor in determining how our world can support humanity’s continued growth. The ability for countries to grow and attract investment will be threatened if water resources are not smartly managed.

Given today’s accelerated pace of human development and the slow pace of managing issues as complex as water resources, tomorrow’s challenges are already at our door.  Many regions of the world are already water stressed due to population and economic growth.

According to Growing Blue, our global economy needs to continue to grow in order to feed and support the world’s population, and water is vital to future growth.

Key implications:

Economic

Limited access to water creates business risk which will impact investment decisions. If we want to grow our economies and create jobs, it’s important to develop the right water solutions now.

Environmental

Growing populations require more water. Yet people, businesses and ecosystems all draw on the same water resource. A healthy environment requires sustainable water management.

Social

World population is growing and migrating to cities, putting great pressure on water resources. To ensure water supplies for future generations, proper water management is needed today.

If society chooses to ignore the reality of limited water resources, the number of people impacted will double from 2.4 billion to 4.8 billion by 2050. Approximately $63 trillion USD of total GDP could be at risk due to water stress by if we continue business as usual.