McKinsey Report on Water

McKinsey issues report on water scarcity. The report discusses frameworks to help decision-makers focus on optimal, strategic pricing solutions to realize the actual value of water which could lead to greater conservation. Note that Reuters reported that during the press conference in Washington announcing the release, Michael Mack (CEO of Sygenta) and Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the chairman of Nestle, who joined in the news conference by phone, both questioned whether the idea of water as a "human right" is useful way to frame the conversation.

http://www.reuters.com/article/gwmCarbonEmissions/idUS277908650320091125

From the executive summary: http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/water/charting_our_water_future.aspx

Charting our water future

Economic frameworks to inform decision-making

Growing competition for scarce water resources is a growing business risk, a major economic threat, and a challenge for the sustainability of communities and the ecosystems upon which they rely. It is an issue that has serious implications for the stability of countries in which businesses operate, and for industries whose value chains are exposed to water scarcity.

Charting our water future: Economic frameworks to inform decision-makingshows that while meeting competing demands for water will be a considerable challenge, it is entirely possible to close the growing gap between water supply and demand. This report provides greater clarity on the scale of the water challenge and how it can be met in an affordable and sustainable manner.

The report offers case studies from four countries with drastically different water issues, which will collectively account for 40 percent of the world’s population, 30 percent of global GDP and 42 percent of projected water demand in 2030: China, India, South Africa and Brazil. The report’s methodology identifies supply- and demand-side measures that could constitute a more cost effective approach to closing the water gap and achieve savings in each country.