Fresh water consumption has increased six-fold since 1900, to around 4,800 billion cubic metres per year, and has since risen around 1.5 times faster than the global population has grown in the same period. According to studies by the World Economic Forum (WEF), global demand for fresh water will exceed supply by up to 40 per cent by 2030. This is referred to as the water gap, i.e. the difference between the demand for water and the sustainably available supply of fresh water. Without ground-breaking technological innovations and investments in more efficient water use and wastewater treatment, the water gap is likely to become an increasingly serious social and economic problem on a global scale.
According to the latest UN World Water Development Report, agriculture will remain the largest absolute consumer of water, currently accounting for around 62 per cent of total consumption, even though the ‘industry’ (approx. 25 per cent) and ‘cities & households’ (approx. 13 per cent) sectors are growing. In the industrial sector, the precious liquid is primarily used in numerous production processes. Two current drivers of water consumption are the increasing use for cooling high-performance data centres and the global expansion of capacity in the relatively water-intensive production of semiconductors.
In addition, rising global prosperity is leading to a general increase in consumption, as lifestyles are becoming more water-intensive due to changes in consumer behaviour. For example, demand for more water-intensive foods such as animal proteins - especially meat - is on the rise. Climate change is affecting the water balance and, as a result of droughts and heatwaves, groundwater levels are falling, increasing the risk to a stable drinking water supply. It is clear that extensive investment in the water sector is needed to avoid the impending water shortfall.