Water is a precious resource that is becoming ever more scarce. Our consumption of water increased fivefold in the 20th century. Global water consumption is expected to rise by another 30% to reach 5,000 km3 per year by 2025. Private house-hold consumption in Germany amounts to 125 liters per person per day. Consumption in the United States is more than double that, with each person using almost 300 liters of water per day. In some regions, however, water consumption is falling: Eastern Europe, in particular, has seen a marked decline since 1990.Around 1.2 billion people – mostly in developing countries – still do not have access to clean drinking water. Similarly, 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitary facilities. In developing countries, impure or contaminated water and inadequate wastewater disposal are seen to be responsible for 80% of all diseases. Current estimates indicate that, by 2025, between 2.6 and 3.2 billion people – by then about half the global population of more than 6 billion – will suffer from a chronic or recurring lack of fresh water. Owing to heavy pollution, the natural self-purifying processes of water resources are no longer sufficient to avert this threat to the environment and to mankind.
At a glance
With the global market volume set to grow to EUR 805 billion by 2020, German companies can look forward to vast opportunities at home and abroad.
High technology made in Germany enables water supply and wastewater disposal systems to be maintained more efficiently and economically.
German companies are using nano-technology and biotechnology to develop advanced filter systems that can sharply reduce water-related health hazards.
In distributed water management, German firms occupy a very good position globally, with a 20% share of the market.
Companies that operate within organized networks benefit by pooling information and cementing the loyalty of customers and suppliers.
Though the quality of water has improved at least in Western countries in recent decades, there is certainly no cause for complacency. On the contrary, preserving the ecological function of water resources remains a pivotal global challenge. At the same time, new sources of pollution are continually coming to light. To quote just one example: The increasing contamination of water caused by medicinal and hormonal residue was discovered just a few years ago. Existing wastewater treatment plants can remedy only a tiny fraction of this problem.
In recent decades, nearly half of all the people killed by natural disasters were the victims of flooding. One-third of the global economic damage inflicted by such disasters had the same root cause. That is why preventive and ecologically responsible flood control is equally important as an element of sustainable water management. The phenomenon known as urban sprawl is leaving large cities and conurbations more vulnerable to disasters. If the frequency of extreme weather events increases in future, so too will the social, economic and ecological cost.
Sustainably managing the Earth‘s water resources is one of the greatest environmental policy challenges of the century. German companies are developing technologies that make a vital contribution to solving the issues involved. Here are just a few examples:
Modern seawater desalination technologies deployed on a very large scale
New technologies to facilitate the distributed supply of (process) water, thereby allowing rainwater and slightly polluted water to be reused
Innovative planning and project management for the installation and maintenance of water distribution networks and systems
Technologies that enable industry, agriculture and private households to use water more efficiently
Development of superior methods for the mechanical and biological treatment of wastewater
Consulting and planning offices that formulate and market groundbreaking water management strategies and services (such as operator models)
