In episode 5 of Future Energy Insights we take a deep dive into the complexities, challenges and opportunities presented by the current funding landscape for water projects worldwide.
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One of the greatest challenges of our time, water scarcity is a global issue. In episode five of Future Energy Insights we explore the compelling environmental, economic and humanitarian case for financing water projects.
By 2040, worldwide demand is expected to outstrip freshwater supplies, with climate change, over-consumption, conflict, population growth and infrastructure issues all playing a part.
According to UN data, the number of people facing this issue could more than double from 930 million in 2016 to a staggering 2.4 billion people in 2050.
The Middle East and North Africa is particularly hard hit, with seven out of 10 of the world’s most water-stressed countries located here in this region.
What is being done to tackle water scarcity? How are funds being raised? What is and isn’t working?
Moderator Jeffrey Beyer, Founder and Managing Director of Zest Associates, is joined by Lu’ay Khdeir, Regional Water Market Director, Middle East, Atkins; Shargiil Bashir, Chief Sustainability Officer and Executive Vice President, First Abu Dhabi Bank; and Clare Dalton, Head of Mission for the International Committee of the Red Cross in the UAE.
Our panellists will explore the value of public-private partnerships in the large-scale utilities sector as well as discussing stakeholder responsibility across NGO-led projects where the end user is a paying customer, and the ongoing role of innovation in leveraging sustained investor interest. Future Energy Insights is a new podcast from the World Future Energy Summit that seeks to address the biggest challenges shaping the future of energy today, both in the Middle East and around the world.