A Question of Definition: Climate Finance & the World Bank

This article raises interesting questions that bear crucially on targeting and impacts. It would be useful to see a similar analysis in respect of other MDBs.

AI is Thirsty for Water: Fake News says Stephen Weese in this contrary piece

Cost-benefits of Optimizing Water and Energy Inputs in Wastewater Treatment: A Case Study from China

A joint Xylem-GWI study shows a sharp uptick in AI’s water demand by 2050. Managing this demand through technology and efficient practices will be key to maintaining the water balance.

A seminal report on global water bankruptcy that emphasizes the world has moved on from crisis to bankruptcy. A long read, but a useful one.

A long report from the World Economic Forum. Not much by way of new analysis but it has some interesting data.

The drying out of almost 40 of the world’s largest cities together with inefficiencies in urban water supply, use, and reuse, is plain and simple misgovernance. It can be fixed but is not - not for lack of finance, technology, or skills but of political will.

An interesting read on the drastic and abrupt curtailment of the US investments in improved water and sanitation policies and capacities.

Water reuse is no longer a marginal consideration; it is a strategic necessity. Around the world, cities and industries are under growing pressure from water scarcity, pollution, and climate stress.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has just placed a Resource Recovery Toolbox in the public domain. It contains useful, practical solutions from around the world to accelerate the growth of circular WASH economies.

The UK government has been stirred into action by the implications of the country’s water crisis. Efficiency is at the heart of a slew of measures announced recently. Read below for details.

Tehran, the capital of Iran, and home to 9.8 million people (with another 7 million in the larger metropolitan area) is facing a severe water crisis. The likelihood of evacuating the city’s residents is not remote. Water resources management has been problematic. And climate change has made matters worse.

Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan rely heavily on hydropower for their energy supplies. However, climate change has radically altered the countries’ hydrology. Reservoirs are not holding water at designed capacities. Energy rationing has been introduced.

Data centers supporting AI are notoriously water intensive. Their explosive growth has sharpened the competition for accessible fresh water. Technology is now developing to minimize water use through advanced liquid cooling methods and water reuse.

The Food-Water-Energy Nexus was first advocated as a concept for the basis of integrated water resources planning by the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Water Security in 2010. This Ph.D. thesis, based on a study of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China demonstrates the inter-related impacts of food, water, and energy for an urban population of 110 million. It also discusses tradeoffs, synergies, and future work areas.