By 2050, almost two billion people living in cities will suffer water shortages as the demand for water increases up to 70%, the World Bank reports. Without this life-giving resource no society can survive.
During the world’s first drive-in convention, in partnership with Mother City Drive-in, The W12+ Congress: Waterwise Future for All was held in Cape Town on October 22. Here, leading experts across the globe shared their insights into what each one of us can do to ensure this precious resource does not go to waste.
The audience, those present and those viewing the live stream online, were also delightfully entertained by Cape Town artist Jeremy Loops featuring Motheo Moleko.
W12+ (originally W12) coordinates stakeholders and have created the event to inspire and educate audiences about the need to conserve, preserve and value water. W12+ was named because it originally targeted the 12 big cities around the world that were water challenged. That number of cities has now increased to 35.
Cape Town is the city that the world knows successfully averted a water shortage crisis. The Mother City has set a global standard for the world on how to be water-wise. Cape Town narrowly avoided Day Zero with a a multi-faceted and inclusive campaign that enlisted everyone to respect water as a precious resource.
Numerous organisations have joined hands through various projects and initiatives worldwide to make clean water accessible to even the most rural communities. The World Bank, Dupont, Xylem, Grundfos, Nedbank CIB, UNESCO, Volvo, Wesgro, and the International Water Bank (IWB) are among the W12+ global and local sponsors, furthering the development of each vital step towards a waterwise future for all.
Nedbank CIB, Redeem Ngadze adds: “We welcome the innovative measures taken by the W12 Programs and fellow sponsors to ensure that the spotlight remains firmly focused on water, despite the challenges of our times. As financial experts who do good, our determination remains to ensure that a collaborated public and private stakeholder solution is achieved to ensure improved bankability of the water economy.”
W12+ aims to showcase and create safe connections for sharing water solutions globally – through projects, government interventions, through investment and through pioneering thinking, responsible usage and more.
However, conserving water and using it wisely is in the hands of each and every person. Every bit helps and educating those around us on respecting water is the only way forward.
Pictures: Supplied