Access to fresh drinking water is vital for a peaceful world. Scarcity of fresh water is one of the most important peace building parameters of the future.

With today’s technology and know-how, solutions for sewage treatment, water purification and holding systems are available. Water supply as such is not really the issue. The question is rather  is how modern technologies can be implemented in the African context and provide the functions intended. The answer is awarenss of the business environment and how business is done in Africa. Companies need to apply appropriate strategies and choose the right local partners to achieve a profitable result.

The terms of the equation remain simple: for the next few decades, given the volume of available water, and under the present circumstances, will it be possible to provide enough water to a population forecast to be at least 9 billion by 2050 (according to the medium hypothesis proposed by the United Nations) using a volume which will be roughly the same as it is now?

In the context of stress and scarcity, the challenge will be to find creative ways to manage water resources without emphasizing already existing disputes and conflicts. This is raising important questions: is it reasonable to envisage more long distance water transfer without threatening water reserves and harming environmental balance? Which are the countries and regions that will suffer the most due to lack of water? And in which countries will an important part of the population still have to wait for decades before being supplied with improved water?

This 2008 update of the ‘Vital Water Graphics’ is aimed at giving an overview of the state of water resources in the world and providing answers to these important questions.