The complex relationship between urbanisation and water availability

I PARTICIPATED in the combined 2016 Singapore International Water Week and World Cities Summit, which gave me an opportunity to reflect on the complex relationship between water and urbanisation.

Here are a few data points to provide some perspective right from the outset: the rate and quality of urbanisation are one of the key megatrends of the 20th and 21st centuries, with massive acceleration. In the 50 years prior to 2010, there were some 38 million additional urban dwellers per year globally; in the next 50 years, it will be an increase of close to 70 million annually.

This acceleration in the rate of urbanisation is a huge challenge; but, like many other challenges, this also means opportunity. In 2012, I organised a breakfast discussion on urbanisation at the World Economic Forum in Davos. One of the main outcomes was the common understanding that cities are nodes of new ideas, communication and innovation. This is further accentuated by the much higher share - compared to country averages - of people aged between 15 and 35. So, while there are issues, cities also generate ideas and solutions.