Sustainability challenge and related SDGs:
Clean water is one of the most basic needs of humans. The challenges around it, however, are enormous. On the one hand, the demand for water is constantly rising. In general, it is driven by the growing world population and increased agricultural activities in particular. Besides agriculture, many other economic activities also rely on clean water while often polluting it.
Supply sources are increasingly under stress and become more and more unstable. Overexploitation and pollution as well as the climate crisis and the related extreme weather events further decrease the capacity of rivers, lakes, and groundwater to provide the direly needed services.
On the other hand, 30% of the world’s population still lacks access to safe drinking water, while 60% do not have appropriate access to sanitation facilities. Both have devastating effects on human health.
Possible solutions and their contribution to achieving the SDGs
The UN estimates that “more than 80 percent of wastewater resulting from human activities is discharged into rivers or sea without any pollution removal”. Hence, #WaterTreatment is a fundamental cornerstone in solving todays and future water crises.
#WaterTreatment cleans water and can recycle used and polluted water from households and the economy. Wastewater plants, key components such as pipes, purifiers, and filters, but also water remediation services or sanitation products count into #WaterTreatment.
#WaterTreatment contributes not only to SDG 6 “Clean Water”. Preventing the spreading of diseases also has substantial positive effects on SDG 3 “Good Health and Well-being”.
Primarily related SDG Targets: 3.9, 6.1, 6.3
Investment Rationale and Growth Potential
With an ever-growing demand for clean water and declining levels of groundwater and other sweet water resources, the demand for #WaterTreatment and related technologies will further grow over the coming years. Big parts of the #WaterTreatment market are capital intensive and highly regulated. Their development is highly dependent on government action. In developed countries with good #WaterTreatment infrastructure, the market is more focused on maintenance and renewal/technological updates. On the other hand, emerging and developing countries, are often in an earlier stage of #WaterTreatment infrastructure building and new infrastructure projects are more in focus.
