It is estimated that 1.1 billion people globally rely on unsafe drinking water sources and that as much as 80 percent of waste water is being discharged untreated in developing countries.

A report found that if no action was taken, projected population and economic growth would lead to global water demand that was 40 percent in excess of current supply by the year 2030. – Sapa

Its best-case scenario it projects a water shortfall in two decades of 2.9 billion cubic meters, rising to 3.8 billion cubic meters if moderate climate effects are taken into account and 5.4 billion cubic meters with accelerated economic growth. Currently water supply is about 15 billion cubic meters.

But it says South Africa can close the gap provided it adopts a mix of solutions, chiefly infrastructure investment in water transfer schemes.

State-owned water utility Rand Water said last month that it faced a R5bn funding shortfall between 2010 and 2015, when it would invest R8.6bn to augment infrastructure.

The report, which looked at demand and supply in China, India, Brazil and South Africa, found that under an average economic growth scenario, world water requirements would surge to 6.9 trillion cubic meters – or 40 percent more than current accessible, reliable supply.

Desalination, the removal of salt from sea water, is listed among South Africa’s most expensive options. Van Olst said many people regarded desalination as a “silver bullet” but its carbon footprint was very high and transport costs restricted its use to coastal areas.
The report calls for strong co-ordination and co-operation between water users.

Van Olst believed water would be “high up” the agenda of National Planning Minister Trevor Manuel’s commission.

Manuel earlier this month noted that while alternatives existed to generate energy, there were none for water!

Africa should resist a course of “water for profit” in favor of water “as a right”, but he cautioned: “We’re living on earth in 2009 with the same amount of water that was available in 1900, meanwhile the global population has quadrupled”.