What We Learned from World Water Day (WWD) 2012

Last week, on March 22nd, the world celebrated World Water Day, which was initially launched in 1993. This year the focus was on Water and Food Security: The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry, the 2012 campaign was the biggest ever of its history.

Below we've rounded up a list of interesting WWD articles and facts to help guide your WaterReturns and water driven investment strategies:

Harnessing the bacteria naturally occurring in water and using solar energy are just two innovations that may help bring clean drinking water to the world's poor. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with water scarcity, the UN estimates.

WRI partnered with several businesses to develop new tools and resources to collect global water data. WRI’s Aqueduct project aims to meet the growing demand for information about present water supply and future risks. Launched last fall, with support from GE, Goldman Sachs, and others, Aqueduct collects, combines, and maps comprehensive data on water and related risks for businesses and investors.

Calculate your own water footprint.

Try the NatGeo interactive map on the water footprint of U.S. consumption.

Meet Australian farmer Laurie Arthur farms 10,000 acres, using the same amount of water as a city of 40,000 to produce food for 100,000.

“The emerging market is taking off right now,” said Steven Falci, head of strategy development for sustainable investment at Kleinwort Benson Investors, an Irish investment firm that has been in the water market for more than a decade. 

Infographics and Maps:

Populations without Access to Sanitation Coverage

Populations without Access to Drinking Water

Water footprint of twelve selected commodities

Water footprint per inhabitant for 132 nations

Infographic Video: How To Solve The World’s Water Crisis