Water
According to UN estimates, the world’s population is set to increase from approximately 7.2 billion today to 9.6 billion by 2050. Due to the increasing average per capita consumption of water, currently 625m³ per annum, water consumption will also grow disproportionately
Global water consumption doubles every 20 years, more than twice as fast as population growth. Current trends suggest that, by 2025, a third of the population will have no access to clean drinking water.
Globally, more than one billion people have no access to clean drinking water. In 25 years up to 6 billion people will be experiencing water shortages because of poor hygiene. Even Europe’s natural water resources are being put under ever-increasing stress.
Supply of harmless drinking water to a large proportion of the world’s population, and the availability of sufficient process water, represent one of the most serious challenges to mankind over the next few decades.
Wastewater
The rising water quality standards in industrial applications and the stringent environmental laws on water treatment, waste water management and the shortage of water are the drivers of this market.
Recycling of water and wastewater treatment involves a combination of technologies to treat the water and make it reusable or attain a safe standard for disposal.
R&D within water technology, a lot of 21st century chemistry, including pesticides, herbicides and pharma products in use today simply can’t be treated or removed with 19th century filtration technology. We need to pair 21st century solutions with these emerging challenges.
Market for water – wastewater
The global world market is estimated by Goldman Sachs (2008) to be worth around 425 billion US dollars, with a long-term growth of 4%-6 %. In industrial markets an average growth of 3%-5 % (USA and Western Europe) is expected through an improvement in existing water and waste water infrastructure within 5 to10 years, compared with 10% or more in developing markets (China and India) through the creation of a new water and waste water infrastructure.
New wastewater purification technology is needed to be able to provide a sustainable, good quality supply of water without burdening the environment.
Industrial water is the fastest growing sector of the global water market.
The overall global water treatment equipment market is estimated at $35 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% till 2020.