A Special Report on Water from The Economist

The audio program above provides a thorough review of the world's water situation. John Grimond from The Economist, discusses the "hot topics" of global water resources.

We hear about hydro-electric power (a clean and green form of electricity but controversial as shown in China's Three Gorges Dam.) We also hear about the future of desalination, a technology that allows us to convert salt water to fresh water through a process called reverse osmosis. It is utilized in a few places in the world currently, (Israel, the UAE and Australia to name a few). The economics of desalination is getting better, however, the energy requirements are still really high. This has created the impetus to use renewable energy to power desalination, a process that could eventually happen on a large scale basis.

Singapore (population:4.5 million) is cited as a steward of water conservation and efficiency. Singaporeans use 155 litres of water a day, that's half of what the average Canadian uses. Andhra Pradesh (a state on the south eastern coast of India) is another example where we are seeing more experiments with effective groundwater management which has reduced demand for water. In Andhra Pradesh, all sectors including agriculture, use less water and far more efficiently.

Finally, cooperation is another significant component in our discussion of water resources. The Nile Basin Initiative is cited as the example regarding good cooperation on water. It is a "partnership among the Nile riparian states that seeks to develop the river in a cooperative manner, share substantial socioeconomic benefits, and promote regional peace and security".

Key Message: While water is becoming more scarce globally, the use of technology is becoming more sophisticated. Also, some of our global leaders (in Singapore, Andhra Pradesh and Guelph) are demonstrating the importance of water conservation and fair allocation. How we price and trade water in an era of scarcity will be one of the more interesting topics in the years to come.