InterLink no. 68: May Edition—expect stories from AVK across the world

Water is a strategic asset

Business Europe just released the report 'EU BUSINESS PRIORITIES ON A FUTURE – PROOFED EU WATER POLICY' to the European Parliament.

The report said, “Water is essential for the economy and the successful implementation of key EU initiatives, but increasing pressure from climate change makes equitable access for all users more critical than ever.”

It cannot be denied that water is the most significant natural resource in our planet earth dan has become a crucial part of humans and nature life. Unlike the other resources, the emphasis is not only on the quantity of water consumed but also the usage of the water.

Water holds the fundamental importance for industries and businesses—it becomes the critical resource across all sectors. For instances, water is used in many manufacture and industrial processes such as construction, food production, pharmaceuticals, textiles, steel and aluminum productions, chemicals, fuels and paper manufacturing. Industries use and consume a large amount of water during the production and cooling process (of the machinery).

A significant amount of water already went through recirculation and regeneration process—means some companies already implemented efficient water management practices. Water also serves as a key energy source for power generation, with hydropower and nuclear providing reliable baseload electricity, flexibility, and storage capacity to stabilize the grid in times of increasing shares of intermittent renewable energy. Moreover, water is essential for other economic sectors such as agriculture and urban water cycle.

It cannot be said enough to the politicians how important water is, and it seems that the message is received, due to the impact of climate change. Massive floods, draughts, and everything in between. Gradually drained rivers, power stations in danger of losing cooling water, and cities flushed away due to heavy rain, wildfire getting out of control due to lack of water.

Groundwater is the most crucial resource in meeting the worlds freshwater needs and provides a resilient component to water supplies challenged by crisis and change.

However, solving sustainable groundwater exploitation is a tricky task.

Groundwater is not easily visible to us, and it finds its own way through the labyrinths of the subsurface. We will never be able to achieve a complete understanding of the groundwater dynamics, which lends a bit of mystery to the art of aground water-based water supply.

Enjoy reading.