Blue Investments, Green COP27 Returns

Addressing sustainable water resource management

‍NEWS PROVIDED BY Botanical Water Technologies November 10, 2022, 9:14 GMT

The United Nations, Climate Change Conference COP27, began this week in Egypt. COP26 hosted last year in Glasgow focused on negotiations and agreement on priorities, whereas COP27 intends for industrialized nations to take 'bold and immediate actions’ on climate change and other related risks such as water supply.

The event this year is overshadowed by a deteriorating climate backdrop in which current efforts are insufficient to limit global warming to the agreed-upon 1.5C target.

Concerning water supply, the United Nations reported that droughts have become 29% more common globally since 2000 and will become more severe, regular, and last longer. According to the World Health Organization, water scarcity affects 40% of the world's population, and droughts could displace 700 million people by 2030.

This year’s COP emphasizes water as a priority, with a dedicated "Water Day" in the program on November 14. The Water Day will address sustainable water resource management, including water scarcity, drought, transboundary cooperation, and the improvement of early warning systems. The event also serves as a precursor to the United Nations Water Conference in New York in March 2023.

Clean, reliable, and easily accessible water resources, and healthy freshwater ecosystems are critical for a climate-resilient future for all. Accelerated investments in climate and water solutions that benefit communities, and the environment are required.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been critical in utilizing natural processes to improve water quality and availability while addressing various water challenges. These projects, such as constructed wetlands, floodplain restoration, and tree planting to reduce runoff, benefit both the environment and the community. However, NBS is not the ultimate water scarcity silver bullet, as projects can take time mature, and results are dependent on other environmental risks, such as fires.

Innovative infrastructure and technology that scale efficiently and provide immediate and impactful results on water scarcity should also be considered. These investments produce meaningful volumetric and social outcomes that are achieved quickly and complement existing NBS programs.

Examples of innovative water projects include farmers using precision drip irrigation systems to use less water for agricultural production and satellites assisting in data collection to identify water runoff and storage issues. Wireless sensor technologies to reduce pipe leakage, filtration systems for wastewater reuse, and sponge-city concrete for rainwater capture are also becoming more widely adopted.

Another example of innovative climate infrastructure and technology is Botanical Water Technologies (BWT) patented Water Harvesting Units that capture and purify evaporative concentrate from food processors to create a new source of sustainable water. This harvested water can be used for environmental replenishment projects and to provide safe drinking water to disadvantaged or water scarce communities.

Any fruit and vegetable processing plant or sugar mill is now a new supply of sustainable water. Individual processors can harvest 100-500 million gallons (~390-~1,900 million liters) of water per season.

BWT has been harvesting water effectively in Australia since 2012 and has just established its first US site in drought-stricken California, where it gifted harvested water for local community benefit.

"Climate change increases water risk for governments, corporates, and communities as accessibility to fresh water becomes scarce or unreliable. Climate finance for innovative infrastructure and technologies to accelerate water security, provide environmental replenishment, and support WASH programs must be in the spotlight at COP27." James Rees, Chief Impact Officer, Botanical Water Technologies

Investing blue capital into a portfolio of nature-based Solutions and new technologies will generate the green returns needed to impact climate change and meet COP commitments.

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Read the original EINNews article here.

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