The future of water should not start with water

The document advocates for a 'Water Possible' approach, where water is treated as an enabler for other global goals rather than a competing priority. It specifically warns that inadequate wastewater treatment leads to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) from pharmaceutical and agricultural runoff, which could result in approximately 500,000 annual deaths and $1-5 billion in yearly healthcare costs, primarily affecting the Global South.

• Water resources are currently strained by a combination of increasing demand, pollution, lack of investment, and climate change, a situation that was further worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is increasing because active substances from hospitals, communities, agriculture, and pharmaceutical manufacturing enter aquatic environments due to insufficient wastewater treatment.
• A study commissioned by the World Economic Forum suggests that under a 'business as usual' scenario, AMR resulting from water pollution could lead to roughly 500,000 deaths annually and healthcare costs between $1 billion and $5 billion per year, with the highest burden falling on the Global South.
• To protect against future pandemics and reduce economic costs, it is essential to upgrade wastewater treatment capacity and provide water and hand hygiene facilities to populations currently lacking access.

APA

Mung, A. (2021). The future of water should not start with water. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/the-future-of-water-should-not-start-with-water/

Chicago

Mung, Alex. The future of water should not start with water. World Economic Forum, 2021. https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/the-future-of-water-should-not-start-with-water/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Mung |first1=Alex |title=The future of water should not start with water |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=23 March 2021 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/the-future-of-water-should-not-start-with-water/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mung2021future, author = {Mung, Alex}, title = {{The future of water should not start with water}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/sustainable-development/the-future-of-water-should-not-start-with-water/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }