Revolutionary innovations

Water is a limited resource and increasingly in short supply. The availability and quality of water change dramatically based on

• increasing population,
• changing consumption patterns, and
• climate change.

UNESCO estimates that the water situation will worsen globally: In 2050, around seven billion people will face water shortage.

From the existing 1,400 billion km³ of water, only three percent is freshwater. Only one percent of drinking water remains if frozen water from the poles and glaciers is deducted. Water as a commodity is not becoming scarcer, but the demand for drinking water is increasing, leading to shortages. New technologies to use more expensive water sources, like the desalination of oceanic salt water or the treatment of wastewater will become increasingly important, particularly in places where no direct access to sufficient water exists. In this context, the use of water as fuel will become increasingly important.