WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF

In this session keynote speaker Matthew Griffin discusses the future of water – without which there would be no civilisation. Globally water is under threat but we have the technology to solve the problem today …

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Firstly, it was a great honour to be asked by Suez to take part in their live stream event and join their Head of Digital Phillipe in a discussion about the Future of Water and discuss the options and innovations that governments, utilites, and individuals have at their disposal today to stave off what the United Nations are calling future “Water Wars.”

It’s no secret that by 2030 the UN estimates that 129 countries, including many in Europe, will be experiencing extreme water stress, stress that Spain is already experiencing across 40% of the country as over 50% of the river basins across Europe start experiencing water scarcity.

The Future of Water, by Futurist Speaker Matthew Griffin

Hit by a triple whammy, notably an increase in water demand from consumers and agriculture alike which uses up 70% of all freshwater supplies alone, as local populations and their demand for food swell, and by the impact of climate change many water sources are under pressure like never before. And that’s before we discuss the impact that rising sea levels will have on local freshwater supplies and aquifers, and the impact of pollution.

The net result of all this is that wherever you live on our blue planet it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to avoid the consequences of what’s coming. But, that said today we are developing the solutions that if deployed at speed will perhaps let us stave off the worst of this future. Solutions such as new agriculture and food production techniques, new desalination and filtration systems, smart water solutions, water recycling and reuse, and of course direct air capture systems – all of which I discuss in my presentation and the live stream.