Global Water Summit in Berlin:Technology and innovation as a solution to the water problem (8)

Behare Bajraktari, Berlin

Journalist & Publicist/ Specialized in Climate Change and Environmental Journalism

During the World Water Summit, innovation was seen as the savior of climate change, and thus of water resources. Entrepreneurs of the world’s largest companies said that water can no longer be drunk or sold the same. The commercialists at this summit said: “When the price increases, the value also increases”.

But can water pricing stop climate change and make drinking water affordable and equally accessible to all?

It was said at the summit that water knows no borders, so we need to have new solutions and new technologies, too. For this issue, 10 new technologies for industrial water or bottled water were presented, as well as which water technologies could accelerate and achieve the maximization of an efficient process. The summit also brought presentations of 30 technologies for the circular economy.

While to get the essential answers to the 40 questions you had to meet face to face with the water leaders, where agreements between the companies were signed.

Everything is water – the manifestation of the climate crisis

Does the required public-private partnership mean triple investmentoftaxpayers?

Public-private partnership is considered the key to a solution, but citizens will pay triple. First, their money in taxes for the public water sector, then government investment in technology and third the monthly bills.

The most frequent call at this summit was to create partnerships as soon as possible to avoid conflicts, especially in countries that have a lack of water.  Whereas, stability and management must come from the individual first, then from the public-private partnership and then from the companies themselves, which must exchange experiences with each other.

In this summit, one thing was accepted that, “Water is the manifestation of the entire climate crisis”. The water crisis and climate change are separate crises, and the mindset needs to change, in that water is not the emitter of greenhouse emissions like energy.

New technology enables private and public sector collaboration by mediating governments with agreements.

On the other hand, among the main points are the emitted emissions, which until 2030 were said to have to be mitigated, but that a plan, a deadline, and an implementation model are needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

It was emphasized that each country should have a detailed water strategy until 2030 and this is necessary. Water is survival and we should not play with it.

Water is the focal point of how climate change profoundly affects people’s lives.

In the climate change crisis, the increase in temperatures is directly affecting the geography of water, the increase in temperatures is affecting populations, of course slowly, but it is happening and is accelerating the impact, among others, on agriculture.

During the summit, it was noted that rivers and lakes are drying up, as is happening with the Po River in Italy or other rivers, while the hydrology and system are being degraded and humanity is being threatened.

Tomorrow: Dialogue on water, climate change adaptation and mitigation