Search
AI-powered search, human-powered content.
scroll to top arrow or icon

{{ subpage.title }}

Graphic Truth: A world thirsty for peace

Happy World Water Day! This year’s theme, “Leveraging Water for Peace,” is a reminder that this precious shared resource can either spark conflict or foster peace. Nowhere is this more evident than in places where freshwater is shared between countries, known as transboundary aquifers, and 60% of the world’s flow traverses political boundaries, hydrating over 150 countries.

Read moreShow less
What will it take for the world to get serious about water?
What will it take for the world to get serious about water? | Sustainability | GZERO Live

What will it take for the world to get serious about water?

Why did it take over twenty years for the UN's marquee climate conference to start talking about water? "It's undervalued and therefore, it's not getting the attention it deserves because people don't see the actual value addition of engaging with it," says James Dalton of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"Roundabout 90% of global water policy is out of date," says James Dalton of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "We're effectively 40 years behind where we need to be on the policy calendar when it comes to being able to better manage our water resources."

Read moreShow less
The world is way behind on water policy | James Dalton
The world is way behind on water policy | James Dalton | Sustainability | GZERO Live

The world is way behind on water policy | James Dalton

When's the last time you remember a politician bringing up water policy on the campaign trail? It's far from the sexiest subject, but it absolutely merits discussion as climate change and overuse of water resources pose serious threats to the world's water systems.

"Roundabout 90% of global water policy is out of date," says James Dalton of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. "We're effectively 40 years behind where we need to be on the policy calendar when it comes to being able to better manage our water resources."

Read moreShow less
Why businesses are leapfrogging governments on water issues
Why businesses are leapfrogging governments on water issues | Sustainability | GZERO Live

Why businesses are leapfrogging governments on water issues

Water is an incredibly personal topic, integral to the lives and traditions of communities everywhere. That means companies must be very careful about how they use water resources, even those to which they are legally entitled, says Shari Friedman, Eurasia Group's Managing Director for Climate and Sustainability.

"If they're taking it away or they're polluting a source, it's something that's incredibly visible, as people use it," she said. "And it's something the press can pick up on pretty quickly, and it affects a company's license to operate."

Read moreShow less
Water scarcity can sink a city, says expert Tanvi Nagpal
Water scarcity can sink a city, says expert Tanvi Nagpal | Sustainability Leaders Council

Water scarcity can sink a city, says expert Tanvi Nagpal

Who ends up paying for all the waste and losses from old, leaky water systems? Ordinary families. For the most part, they have no choice but to foot higher and higher bills just to keep access to the water they need to live.

However, failure to invest in water systems and keep costs low for consumers can lead to huge consequences, according to Tanvi Nagpal, water policy expert and consultant for Tetra Tech. For example, Jakarta's failure to keep its water system up with its population growth led people to dig wells to provide themselves with the needed water. The result? One of the largest cities in the world and an economic engine of southeast Asia is physically sinking into the ground.

Read moreShow less
Saving the planet is big business | Minoj Jain
Saving the planet is big business | Minoj Jain | Sustainability Leaders Council

Saving the planet is big business | Minoj Jain

Can saving the planet's freshwater be profitable? Most certainly, says Manoj Jain, investment director at Unison Capital.

"The material recovery conversion of waste and plastic into fuel, desulfurizing the air, the flue-gases, all this is very profitable business," he said at a GZERO Live event organized by the Sustainability Leaders Council, a partnership between Eurasia Group, GZERO Media, and Suntory.

Read moreShow less
Paige Fusco

Graphic Truth: When it comes to freshwater, Canada is king

Water covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, but good ol’ H2O is a much more precious resource than it appears.

Less than 0.8% of Earth’s water is freshwater in lakes, rivers, or underground aquifers. And much of that already tiny fraction has been rendered unusable by pollution or is lost to poor management and inefficient agricultural practices. What’s worse, climate change and overexploitation of existing water resources mean that communities from California to Cambodia are struggling to provide safe water at an affordable price.

Read moreShow less
Water scarcity: How Suntory is optimizing for beverage production
- YouTube

Water scarcity: How Suntory is optimizing for beverage production

You won't be surprised to hear that companies that make drinks need a lot of water. Suntory, one of the leading beverage producers in the world, is no exception. However, they have come up with an exceptional response to the issue, according to Shigeaki Kazama , Executive Officer and Division Deputy COO of the Sustainability Management Division at Suntory Holdings..

To offset the water Suntory draws from Japan's underground aquifers, they manage a vast system of forest preserves. They help recharge the resource by maintaining a cool, wet environment that allows groundwater to seep back into the earth rather than run off or evaporate.

Read moreShow less

Subscribe to our free newsletter, GZERO Daily

Latest