http://www.flickr.com/photos/maniya/753410082/
It’s no secret that we all need water to drink. It’s also no secret that every country needs water to do business at the most fundamental level.
In fact, a recent piece in Reuters says that agricultural and development-oriented investors could very much focus their attention on water-related projects, particularly in Africa.
The news service reports:
About 70 percent of global water used is for agriculture, and in some developing countries where populations are growing fastest that figure is as much as 90 percent. Australia’s drought helped sharply boost global rice prices last year. Companies that make products that require large amount of water, such as meat and biofuels, are seen facing increasing risk as water becomes more scarce.
In related news, citizens are taking organizing into their own hands as well. AlterNet points to examples in Vermont (USA) and Uruguay as to how communities are taking back and starting to exert better control over their local water supply.
There’s even been new examples of the commercialization of “water awareness” — there’s now a new bottled water company, “One Water,” which apparently will donate 100 percent of its profits back to water projects in developing countries.
No word yet on what impact One Water has had.
