Water in the world – local and global challenges
Water is the basis for all life, and with the booklet "Water in the World" we want to create awareness about the huge impact that water has on human health and quality of life, the world's energy consumption and climate impacts, as well as how economy is affected by water loss and untreated wastewater. In other words, those major issues that have led to e.g. the UN sustainable development goal 6 to ensure access to water and sanitation for all.
Download the booklet "Water in the world - local and global challenges"
Water loss, water shortage and contaminated water
In many places in the world, water is a scarce resource. Despite this, more than a third of the produced drinking water never reaches the end user. Water loss, water scarcity and discharge of
wastewater create massive problems all over the world.
"Water loss is the worst – it is a waste of an often-sparse resource and also of the resources (energy, labour and write-off of infrastructure) used to extract the water.” - Bjørn Kaare Jensen, VC, Danish Water Forum, President, European Water Association
Globally, poor water quality costs millions of lives every day. Clean drinking water and access to sanitation is not a matter of course for everyone. For many people in developing countries it is only a dream.
Below are some thought-provoking and worrying facts about how the world handles water and wastewater – you can read more in the booklet "Water in the world":
- By 2025, 1.8 billion people are expected to endure absolute water scarcity.
- Two billion people only have access to excrement-polluted drinking water.
- On a global scale, the total water loss is between 35% and 40%. In Europe, the average water loss is 26%.
- 70% of the world’s water consumption is used in agriculture, expanding food production but one third of the food that is produced globally is thrown away. One third of the water used for food production is therefore wasted.
- Clean water and better sanitation can globally assist the health sector save 10%.
- 80% of the world’s wastewater is led untreated back into nature.
Know-how and technologies
Globally, there is an increasing political attention to water challenges, and an increasing political understanding that action is required. The increased attention to the UN sustainable development goals, and on a European level the revised drinking water directive, is another step in the right direction.
We already possess knowledge, know-how, technologies and products that could begin making a difference, reducing the problems and providing better lives for many people.
As a supplier to the water sector, we work systematically to improve water supply by reducing water loss and making the daily operations and necessary maintenance as cost-effective as possible.
