1.

Water a global challenge

We need water for everything: for our personal use, to grow food, and to produce virtually
all the goods required for our survival. Water is also vital to economic growth. Practically all of
societys commercial activities, from agriculture and electricity generation to the production of
consumer goods depend on the availability of water. although water has become a precious
commodity in many areas of the world, the price of water charged to consumers in most coun-
tries is still too low to accurately reflect its value. and while demand for water resources
is growing rapidly, supply is limited.

1.1 Limited supply
Two key features dominate current global water con-
sumption patterns:
The supply of freshwater is limited, but demand
is growing steadily.
Many countries are failing to satisfy the basic need
to provide sufficient quantities of water of acceptable
quality.
Globally, the volume of renewable water per
capita has declined by 30% in the last 22 years.
Limited water reserves
Every year about 90,000 to 120,000 km3 of precipita-
tion falls on the worlds continents and islands. About
two-thirds of this precipitation reverts directly to the
atmosphere through evaporation. Of the remaining
one-third, two-thirds flow into watercourses and only
part of it can be allocated for human use. A total of some
9,000 to 12,000 km3 of water, or 10% of all precipitation,
is therefore available for drinking, agriculture and indus-
trial use.1
There are significant regional differences in the distribu-
tion of the effectively usable water.2 In countries with
ample rainfall such as Switzerland, more than 5,000 m3
of water are available per person per annum. In the US,
about 8,800 m3 of water are available per person per
annum, but regional differences play a role. For example,
the city of Duluth, Minnesota has higher water availabil-
ity than Miami, Florida. One worrying trend is the recent
decline in the quantity of water available to each person
in many countries. Globally, the volume of renewable
water per capita has fallen from 28,377 m3 per person
per year in 1992 to 19,804 m3 per person per year in
2014, roughly a 30% decline over the last 22 years.3

Figure 1: Global water cycle

13 atmosphere

505 Evaporation 464 Precipitation 113 Precipitation 72 Evapotranspiration

1
Zehnder, A.J.B; 24,000
Schertenleib,R.; Jaeger, C.: total in ice
Herausforderung Wasser.
EAWAG Jahresbericht,
1997.
2
UNESCO: Water a 41
Direct runoff and 100 Lakes 320,000
shared responsibility. drainage via rivers the figures in boxes
total in rock pores
The United Nations World represent the reservoirs
1,380,000
Water Development Ocean of water (in 1,000 km3),
Report, 2006.
8,200 while the others show
www.unesco.org/water/
Groundwater water flows (in 1,000 km3
wwap (5.10.2007) 4 Groundwater runoff to ocean
per year).
3
Aquastat

Source: Zehnder, A.J.B.; Schertenleib, R.; Jaeger, C.: Herausforderung Wasser. EAWAG Jahresbericht 1997.

RobecoSAM Water: the market of the future 3