Water scarcity raises risks and opportunities for portfolios

TWO billion people globally, including children, do not have access to safe drinking water, and 44 per cent of household water is not safely treated. The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to potentially double from 930 million in 2016 to between 1.7 billion and 2.4 billion people in 2050.

These were some of the staggering statistics shared in the latest edition of the UN World Water Development report launched around World Water Day in March.

Water is a theme close to my heart. The need to save water was particularly ingrained through the many public awareness campaigns in my youth in Singapore. Singapore was considered one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with a heavy dependence on rainfall due to the lack of natural water resources, and limited land available for water storage facilities.