"There is still enough water for all of us – but only so long as we keep it clean, use it more wisely and share it fairly. Governments must engage and lead, and the private sector also has a role to play in this effort." Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General, United Nations, New York.
Halcrow is committed to playing a significant part in creating a water-secure world.
Water scarcity is now a reality for many, affecting 40 per cent of the world’s population.
For 1.2 billion people, there is not enough water to meet domestic, agricultural or other demands. A further 1.6 billion suffer from insufficient infrastructure and institutional arrangements to supply the water they need.
The situation is worsening due to:
- climate change – different patterns of water availability
- population growth – 8.9 billion people by 2050, a 40 per cent increase
- world trade – lack of correlation between water availability and water-thirsty crops
- urbanisation – food producers and cities competing for land and water as more people move to urban areas for work
- dietary change – more water-intensive meat and vegetable oils in people’s diets, as calorific intake rises because of greater affluence
We are improving water security in many areas, including:
- water resources management – river basin planning, drought contingency planning
- urban water – water treatment and supply, water cycle studies
- water resource infrastructure – dams and reservoirs, aqueducts, irrigation
- alternative water supply – desalination, wastewater treatment and recycling
- economic and strategic services – water audits, water trading, demand management
- industrial water efficiency – water re-use and recycling, water efficiency, corporate and social responsibility
- agricultural efficiency – irrigation efficiency, economics, social issues
We fully endorse the United Nations' Global Compact and the CEO Water Mandate – a public-private initiative designed to assist companies in the development, implementation and disclosure of sustainable water policies and practices.
Our participation in the World Economic Forum and its water initiative; our membership of the World Water Council; and our role as a founding member of not-for-profit organisation Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP) is further evidence of our commitment to developing a water-secure world.