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New Water: Innovation to Address Water Resource Scarcity

Article written by Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar Water Solutions, for Revista de Obras Públicas

Water scarcity is a critical challenge facing the world today. This vital resource, essential for life and human development, is in an alarming state of precariousness. The availability of accessible freshwater varies greatly as supply and demand fluctuate. This situation worsens when demand rises or when water supply is affected by a decline in quantity or quality.

According to data compiled by the United Nations and other international organizations, the figures on water scarcity are concerning:

  • Only 0.5% of the Earth’s water is fresh, available, and usable. Climate change is exerting significant pressure on this essential supply. Over the past two decades, terrestrial water storage—including soil moisture, snow, and ice—has declined at a rate of 1 centimeter per year. This decrease has serious consequences for water security, directly impacting freshwater availability and affecting key aspects of human life and ecosystems. (WMO, 2021)

  • 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries, of whom 733 million face high and critical water scarcity. By 2050, this number is expected to rise to between 2.7 and 3.2 billion. (UN-Water, 2021)

  • Currently, 1.42 billion people, including 450 million children, reside in areas with high or extremely high water vulnerability. (Unicef, 2021)

  • Around 4 billion people—nearly two-thirds of the global population—experience severe water shortages for at least one month each year. (Mekonnen & Hoekstra, 2016)

The unequal use of water resources is also reflected in extraction and distribution figures:

  • 72% of all water withdrawals are for agriculture, 16% for municipalities (households and services), and 12% for industries. (UN-Water, 2021)

These statistics paint a troubling picture of global water availability. Increasing demand, uneven distribution, and intensifying water scarcity pose significant challenges that must be addressed urgently and efficiently. Added to these issues is the lack of political will to tackle water challenges and implement the necessary regulatory measures.

The situation is further aggravated by contextual factors such as climate change, fragility, conflicts, biodiversity loss, and weak governance. These elements, along with poor planning, inadequate water sector management, conflicting policies, and a lack of institutional collaboration, contribute to the intensification of water stress and scarcity.

This water crisis has driven the search for innovative alternatives to address water shortages and conserve our natural resources. The concept of New Water, which includes technologies such as desalination, wastewater reuse, and atmospheric water generation, has emerged as a promising solution to mitigate the growing gap between water supply and demand.

Desalination: A Mature and Efficient Technology

Desalination has established itself as an efficient technology in certain geographic areas, particularly those within 100 km of the coast. This technique is not only competitive but also helps preserve freshwater supplies for essential uses by diverting desalinated water for industry and agriculture. Countries like Spain, Israel, and Morocco have led the way in successfully applying desalination in agriculture.

The UN World Water Development Report 2021: Valuing Water highlights desalination as one of the key technological options that can provide an additional source of freshwater for agricultural irrigation, particularly in coastal areas facing water stress. This approach demonstrates how, thanks to cost reductions, supplying desalinated water for agriculture is economically viable in controlled environments that use highly efficient irrigation practices, high-yield crops, and renewable energy.

Wastewater Reuse and Treatment

Wastewater reuse or regeneration offers a range of benefits, from reducing water scarcity to addressing fundamental challenges such as the lack of wastewater treatment. This practice has become a crucial solution for the agricultural and industrial sectors and has even been implemented in indirect potable reuse systems in countries like the United States, Singapore, and Spain. However, currently, only 11% of the estimated total domestic and industrial wastewater is reused. It is time to transform our perception of wastewater from being a foul-smelling and dangerous source of pollution—poorly managed and with severe impacts on human health and the environment—to a valued and well-managed resource with immense potential as a source of clean water, energy, nutrients, and other materials.

Recognition by the United Nations and organizations like the World Bank has validated the potential of these technologies. After overcoming concerns about energy consumption and regulatory barriers, there has been a significant shift in perception and adoption. Access to water is not only vital for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation but also fundamental for other SDGs, such as poverty eradication and health and hygiene promotion. Preserving and producing water through alternative sources is critical to the 2030 Agenda.

Global Initiatives to Promote New Water

The World Bank, through its Water Global Practice group, led by Director General Saroj Khumar Jha and other key figures such as Zael Sanz Uriarte, has launched a program aimed at promoting New Water solutions through financing, risk coverage, and technological development.

The World Bank’s approach is to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet, supporting impactful, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable development, including access to clean water.

With this goal in mind, various branches of the World Bank—such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG), a public-private collaboration platform—have committed to increasing investment in water-related projects in emerging and developing economies. This strategy specifically aims to attract greater innovation, expertise, and private sector capital to a sector that has historically been financed primarily through public and concessional funds in most of the developing world.

Other organizations, such as the International Desalination and Reuse Association (IDRA), play a crucial role by working with private companies and multilateral institutions to influence policies and regulations surrounding New Water. These collaborations are essential for expanding global access to water and sanitation.

All of this was reflected last October at the IDA Seville Summit on Water and Climate Change, where private companies, utilities, and policymakers gathered to discuss the development and use of New Water and integrated water resources management (IWRM).

New Water represents a revolution in water resource management and conservation. Its potential impact on mitigating water scarcity and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is significant. The combination of technology, financing, policy change, and long-term commitments is fundamental to ensuring a sustainable and accessible future for water and sanitation.