Our Scans · (LF.6) Clean Water and Sanitation · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 6. Ensure availability of water and sanitation for all.

• [New] The UAE recently launched the Abu Dhabi Global Water Platform, a $2 billion initiative aimed at improving water security for 10 million people by 2030, backed by a $1 billion commitment from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. The National
• [New] Google has announced it will replenish more water than it consumes by 2030 and invest $500 million globally in water reuse and watershed restoration. Water Industry Hub
• [New] The EIB joined the Water Forward coalition pledging water security for 300 million people by 2030. Water Industry Hub
• [New] By 2030, data center water consumption for AI cooling and electricity generation could reach 9.3 trillion liters - enough to meet global drinking water needs for 1.6 years. Water Industry Hub
• [New] Rising climate variability is driving more frequent and severe water-related disasters, which account for the majority of natural hazards globally. UN Water Conference Academic Hub
• [New] England faces a potential water-supply shortfall of more than 5bn liters a day by the mid-2050s. The Guardian
• [New] Federal water managers have warned that Lake Powell - the U.S.' second-largest reservoir - could sink to levels that threaten hydropower production by 2027. Newsweek
• [New] One silver lining is that parched regions like the Colorado River Basin could get deluged with rain and snow, boosting water supplies. Earth Island Journal
• [New] If current conditions remain unchanged and water demand continues to outweigh the shrinking supply base of the Colorado River, households and businesses in the American West will experience further water shortages combined with higher water prices. The Conference Board
• [New] A 30% water use reduction during a water shortage could shrink economic output by US$ 100 M. Nature
• [New] The UAE Water Security Strategy 2036 emphasizes improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing infrastructure resilience across water production and distribution systems. MarkNtel Advisors
• [New] Fiscal Exposure: NITI Aayog projects that India's water demand will be twice the available supply by 2030, implying a potential GDP loss of up to 6%. PMF IAS
• [New] Studies that tested the effectiveness of hydration strategies found that unlimited access to cold water and self-pacing significantly reduce heat-related health risks among Saudi workers and effectively minimize dehydration in Qatar. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Affinity Water's AMP8 business plan includes a £2.3 billion investment programme for 2025-2030, focused on maintaining high-quality drinking water supplies, improving resilience and strengthening environmental performance. Water Magazine
• [New] NASA and its European partners are tracking a major buildup of warm water in the Pacific Ocean that could signal the arrival of El Nino later in 2026. ScienceDaily
• The 2026-27 El Nino - which forms when changes in wind patterns allow warmer water to spread across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific - has a historically unprecedented chance of developing into a very strong event fuelling heatwaves, flooding and stormier weather. The Guardian
• Over the next 10 years, American Water plans to invest approximately $48 billion in capital improvements to its systems, including infrastructure renewal, water quality, resiliency, technology, and water and wastewater system acquisitions. American Water Newsroom
• Spain recently announced a national programme to establish a network of climate shelters - air-conditioned spaces that will generally also provide drinkable water and places to sit. BBC
• Even in the US, the Trump administration is having to work to defuse public opposition to datacenters, asking the tech giants to commit that their expanding server farm estates will not spike energy bills or drain local water supplies across the US. theregister
• Major utility companies, including Thames Water, have not built a new significant reservoir since 1992, but are now promising to construct 10 by 2050. Yahoo News
• One theory is that if utility companies could just fix their leaks - which lead to the loss of 2.8 billion liters a day - then Britain's water shortage crisis would be solved. Yahoo News

Last updated: 20 July 2026