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April 2nd, 2018
Via LinkedIn, a sobering brief on Asia’s water insecurity:
Water shortages are set to grow ever more severe in Asia and could prove overwhelming for water-intense operations in the region. The UN reports that by 2050 at least 4.6 billion people globally could live in areas regularly suffering water-scarcity; and up to 96% of those people will be in Asia.
Verisk Maplecroft research shows Asia currently has the largest percentage of its population living in areas categorised as high or extreme risk in our Water Stress Index. The continent’s water resources already face demands from a vast agricultural sector, growing population and expanding industry, while deteriorating water quality and ecosystem degradation is further shrinking fresh water supplies
Water resources are likely to come under further pressure as the impacts of climate change take effect, potentially triggering conflicts unless actions are taken to reduce these stresses.
Companies are set to come under greater pressures from regulators, stakeholders and customers if they are seen to be mismanaging water resources. The examples of Mexico, Iran and the Philippines highlight the current reputational threat of mismanaging water supplies.
However, the issue is a global one: worldwide water withdrawals are already breaching sustainable levels and our Water Stress Index highlights significant risks even in European countries (see below).
