Turning on a tap and seeing that a stream of water comes out or flushing the toilet: small everyday privileges that we take for granted. However, not everyone can enjoy them. Water is an essential good but increasingly scarce. As confirmed by the UN, with every 1 ºC increase in temperature, water resources decrease by 20%. At the same time, the demand for freshwater has not stopped growing, 1% annually, over the last four decades, and it is estimated that it will continue to do so at this rate until 2050.
By 2030, it is estimated that demand will already exceed supply by 40%. The latest Unesco report specifies that the increase will be concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, especially in emerging economies, and points out the increase in water scarcity and the decrease in water quality due to pollution.
Likewise, it identifies two notable problems: agricultural runoff, which affects countries with a higher standard of living. And the poor quality of water in low-income countries, due to insufficient wastewater treatment. This last factor means that more than 1.5 billion people cannot access latrines or toilets with sanitary security measures or that are close to home. Furthermore, more than 418 million are forced to practice open defecation. According to the WHO, the lack of drinking water and hygiene causes the death of 1.4 million people a year (more than half from diarrheal diseases associated with fecal contamination).
According to the World Bank, it is necessary to invest some 85.6 billion more dollars per year to achieve the goals of Sustainable Development Goal 6 in 2030. In addition, inaction is expensive: each year, up to 260 billion are lost due to lack of access to water and sanitation. Calculations ensure that each dollar invested would generate a return of four. If we add to this natural disasters caused by the climate, such as droughts and floods, we could reach $15 in return.
Despite the obvious benefits, the global outlook does not favor financial mobilization. We have seen this in the difficulty of reaching agreements on damages and losses drawn up at COP27 (the last United Nations Conference on Climate Change). Attracting private investments, in association with public ones, is the ideal solution, according to experts. This would allow the construction and operation of infrastructure, efficient water management and the implementation of innovative technologies in the reuse, desalination and reuse of treatment waste. But for capital to arrive, alliances are needed to promote international cooperation.
Mere investment is not a guarantee of equity. The latest Unesco report makes it clear that the preferred beneficiaries should be the 2,000 million people who cannot access drinking water services, and the 3,600 million who do not have sanitation services. Adequate financing for compliance with the SDGs is a challenge that requires a joint effort from governments, organizations, companies and civil society.
An example of commitment to this cause is the work of the We Are Water foundation, promoted by Roca Group in 2010, focused on two fundamental objectives: raising awareness and making public opinion and institutions reflect on the need to create a new water culture for fair development and sustainable management of water resources in the world. And also carry out multiple actions to alleviate the negative effects of water scarcity. The areas of action of this non-profit organization cover intervention in infrastructure, education, health and research in the most needy areas of the planet.
So far, they have already developed 93 projects in 38 countries, helping more than 3.7 million people. The We Are Water Foundation is a good example of how the private sector can help create the conditions necessary to address a major global challenge.
