Financing a water secure future

One of the greatest challenges of our time, water scarcity is a global issue. What is being done to tackle water scarcity? How are funds being raised? What is and isn’t working?In this episode 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.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 Delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross in the UAE. Our panelists 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.Powered by World Future Energy Summit, the Future Energy Insights show seeks to address the biggest challenges shaping the future of energy today, both in the Middle East and around the world. Find us on social media at @worldfutureenergysummit and visit our website www.worldfutureenergysummit.com.