Water Stress: A Global Challenge

In many regions of the world, there is a shortage of clean drinking water. If water consumption exceeds renewable resources by 40 percent, experts refer to this as extreme water stress.

Currently, around 2.5 billion people live under water stress. By 2025, it will be more than half of the world's population, according to estimates. How can we meet these challenges? What are the possible solutions? To discuss these questions, LANXESS invited representatives from politics, science, environmental organizations and companies to a roundtable discussion.

The main challenges posed by water stress in Germany and globally were discussed, along with possible solutions. At the subsequent get-together, further facets of the topic were discussed.

Thus, conflicts of use and challenges such as

population density,
shifting water consumption,
competing uses with agriculture,
users in river basins

were discussed. But also the water pollution caused by agriculture in Germany was highlighted.

In addition, the treatment of water for human consumption and climate change on a global scale are among the causes responsible for water stress.

bottle is filled with spring water from a spring

The need for a systemic or holistic view of the problem was emphasized; i.e. the consideration of all users of the resource water in a watershed, the consequences of enforced measures as well as the factor time.

Example of holistic approach: Water Stewardship Initiative of GIZ, commissioned by BMZ; tries to involve all stakeholders in the management of a water resource.
Water governance as another concept for developing a common approach; example: Nexus approach in the EU (agriculture, consumers and energy).

Across the board, the exchange between stakeholders was emphasized, linked to concrete contributions in each case.