The demand for fresh water and hygienic sanitation services is greater than ever before, and according to scientific predictions, it will rise even more as the global population grows by an estimated 2 billion by 2050.
Climate change, rapid urbanisation, increasing consumption, and a higher demand for food and energy has resulted in such unprecedented challenges for the water sector that the World Economic Forum has placed water at the top of its global risks register.
The adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides an ambitious framework to address these challenges, and presents the water sector with many opportunities to scale-up best practice and develop innovative solutions.
Where most of us err is in thinking that only those in the water sector, but water management is a complex multi-disciplinary topic and requires both water professionals and those who are not involved in the industry to influence it for the good.
Planning and designing a resilient water sector for the future means that we need to recognise the fact that identifying challenges, opportunities and solutions that will positively affect the future of water globally encompasses working across disciplines.
The recently published Global Trends and Challenges in Water Science, Research and Management Compendium, draws upon the expertise of the International Water Association (IWA’s )Specialist Groups to help address these challenges. The report identifies global trends, hot topics and innovations in water science, research and management that will impact future water and also highlights various approaches to resolving the challenges.
Innovative DNA tools are revolutionising capabilities to identify microorganisms present in drinking water, wastewater and other water systems quickly and cheaply, and the development of public databases with libraries of all relevant microbes in specific water systems, together with all available information regarding their functions, is also helpful. DNA technologies for onsite surveillance should be on the market within the next 3-5 years.
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