Over the last century, water use has grown at more than twice the rate of population increase globally, and it is still increasing in all sectors. The effects of climate change will intensify the risk of droughts as well. While some regions are experiencing heavy floods, others are suffering from increasing aridity.
In both cases, the affected people face the same problems: a lack of clean drinking water and often lack water for agriculture. Poor access to water is not only a threat to people’s health but also livelihoods. It limits the potential to irrigate crops or undertake other water-dependent activities.
In some countries, water scarcity is so pronounced that humans cannot reach many of the desired economic, social, and environmental goals. Over 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress today and the numbers will continue to increase. The need for greater access to reliable and clean water has therefore risen to the top of the development agenda of many countries in recent years.
In contrast, in Europe, the average person directly consumes between 100-150 litres of water a day – like drinking water, for washing clothes, bathing and watering plants. But each person also indirectly consumes anywhere between 1,500 and 10,000 litres of water per day, depending on where they live and their consumption habits.
-> Save Water: Reduce Your Water Footprint
If business as usual continues, the global demand for water will exceed viable resources by 40 percent by 2030. Therefore, using the critical elements water more efficiently is a top priority. “Water is something that we should all be focusing on. As a resource, we should really make sure we keep it, as much as we can,” says the Global Ecology Group (GEG) Founder and CEO Owen J. Morgan.
The global water crisis has many causes, requiring many different solutions. These solutions must span policy, behaviour change and innovative technology, such as water conservation and recycling technologies, to make a real difference.
Industrial water use accounts for approximately 22 percent of global consumption. The corporate footprint includes water that is directly and indirectly consumed when goods are produced. Much of this cannot be returned into the natural cycle or used for consumption leaving a huge untapped resource of water remain unfit for purpose.
However, GEG’s Founder and CEO Owen J. Morgan has already proven restoration of water from some of the most polluted sources, for example, mine water, drilling discharge and medical waste.
“We don’t need to go down the road of putting huge amounts of chemicals into the water to make it better. We can fix water by actually looking at what nature does,” says Owen.
Since the early 1990s, Owen has been developing a number of water recovery processes. These key technologies follow specific approaches to recovery of contaminated water to a natural balanced and in many cases a potable water supply.
GEG’s research and development is inspired by nature. We apply this inspiration to human needs by respecting our interconnectedness and interdependence with nature, and by working sustainability for the future of our species and our planet.