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Water is essential to life and the biosphere, yet despite covering 71% of the Earth, only a small fraction is fresh and accessible for human use. Climate change and population growth—expected to reach 10 billion by 2070—are intensifying water scarcity, especially as 70% of water consumption is tied to food production. This growing demand threatens to transform the water crisis into a food crisis. Experts emphasize the need for a systemic approach that combines technological innovation, international cooperation, governance, social responsibility, and sustainable economic models. Water management is central to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, impacting hunger eradication, health, clean energy, and ecosystem conservation.
Technological solutions such as water reuse and desalination offer promising avenues to address water shortages. Countries like Israel and California lead in wastewater recycling, while desalination plants increasingly utilize renewable energy to reduce environmental impacts. Additionally, atmospheric water capture technology benefits arid regions and disaster-affected areas. Effective water management also requires collaborative international governance to prevent conflicts and mobilize resources for resilient infrastructure. Cities like Singapore and Windhoek demonstrate innovative water strategies, while investments in water infrastructure yield broad social and economic benefits, including improved health, increased labor productivity, and gender equality. Addressing water challenges demands commitment from governments, businesses, and communities worldwide to ensure water access as a fundamental human right, fostering sustainability and equity for future generations.
Managing this vital resource requires innovative strategies and policies to ensure equitable access
Water is life and its role in the biosphere defines the uniqueness of our planet. An essential resource that we take for granted but that is becoming increasingly difficult to access. Indeed, as droughts intensify and rainfall becomes more unpredictable, the world’s cities and communities are being forced to rethink how to manage an asset that is vital to economic and social stability. The experts who participated in the Future Trends Forum report ‘Water, our vital resource in check‘ by the Bankinter Innovation Foundation tried to respond to this challenge.
Although the Earth is 71% covered by water, only a small percentage is fresh and accessible for human consumption. According to some of the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming is expected to further reduce the availability of fresh water, intensifying wet and dry extremes. To this is added that, projections such as those of the professor David Sedlak of UC Berkeley estimates that by 2070 the world’s population will reach 10 billion, with increased demand for meat and food increasing pressure on water resources. In fact, 70% of the water we consume is linked to food production, which turns the water crisis into a food crisis.
To address these challenges, it is imperative to adopt a systemic approach that includes technological innovation, international collaboration, comprehensive governance, social responsibility, and economic models that ensure their long-term viability. An approach that not only seeks to maximize resource efficiency, but also to integrate the concept of social justice into every aspect of water systems planning and financing. In fact, water is at the heart of Sustainable Development Goal number 6 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, and its influence encompasses other goals related to the eradication of hunger, health, clean energy and the conservation of ecosystems.
Reuse and desalination as goals
Technology offers some promising answers. One of them is
Another indispensable process is desalination. Although it faces economic and environmental challenges, experts such as Alejandro Jiménez, from Acciona, point out that modern plants already operate with renewable energy, mitigating their ecological impact: a a notable example is the Qatari government’s capacity to produce 5,000 litres per day in emergency situations. Finally, atmospheric water capture is positioned as a viable solution in arid regions. Companies like the one from Cordoba GENAQ has developed technologies that extract water from the air through cooling systems, benefiting rural communities, militaries and areas affected by natural disasters.
Water is not only essential for human survival, but also for key sectors such as energy, agriculture and industry and is a geopolitical resource. Historical conflicts, such as those related to the Nile or Jordan Rivers, underscore the
Singapore and Windhoek, Namibia are examples of cities that have implemented innovative strategies in water management. The Asian city-state has embraced advanced rainfall capture and reuse technologies, while Windhoek has been a leader in indirect potable recycling for decades. In Spain, initiatives such as the modernization of irrigation networks and the conservation of river ecosystems are fundamental steps towards integrated management, the Region of Murcia reuses more than 90% of water. However, greater investment in green infrastructure and nature-based solutions is required.
According to data from the Future Trends Forum, investing in water infrastructure and sanitation systems generates economic and social benefits that go beyond simple access to water. For example, the constant supply of clean water reduces the incidence of diseases such as diarrhoea or cholera. This relieves the pressure on health systems and significantly reduces the costs associated with the treatment of these pathologies, freeing up resources for other key sectors such as education or housing.
Likewise, investments in water and sanitation increase equality and labor productivity, especially among women. In fact, in many rural communities, they are primarily responsible for harvesting, a task that can consume several hours a day. With access to clean water close to their homes, these women are able to devote more time to education, paid work, and other activities that boost their personal and community development.
To meet the water challenges of the 21st century, experts such as Howard Neukrug, Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania Water Center, agrees on the need to address three key strategies: efficiency, adaptive infrastructure, and unconventional resources. This involves: investing in R+D to develop accessible and sustainable technologies; adopt tariff policies that reflect the real costs of water; promote public education to change patterns of consumption and perception of water.
Ultimately, access to water is a fundamental human right, recognized by the United Nations in 2010. But making it a reality requires a collective commitment that transcends borders, political interests and economic barriers. Governments, businesses, international organizations and communities must work together to ensure that this essential resource is available to all, today and in the future. Sustainability and equity are not isolated goals, but two sides of the same coin. Together, they have the power to transform water management, ensuring not only the survival of millions of people, but also a future where water is an engine of progress, equality and hope.
