Where is all the water? The importance of data in real world issues
"Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink" – who would have known that these two lines from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner would be so relevant today? With more than two centuries since they were first written, climate change and water wastage at an all-time high, these lines highlight the global water crisis we are facing today.
The United Nations (UN) has estimated that 3.3 billion people are living in areas of water scarcity, with three-quarters of a billion people having no access to clean drinking water. By 2025 it is estimated that there will be two in three people living in water-stressed areas – where demand for water exceeds the available amount.
Additionally, according to the UN, over 80 per cent of all wastewater is not used again and National Geographic has reported that less than 3% of the world’s water is drinkable. All painting a bleak picture of what the next few decades might look like.
As the world confronts increasingly severe stresses on water availability and quality, the need for clear, timely, relevant information on water resources has never been more urgent. What’s more, putting this information in the best format, into the right hands is vital to demonstrating how drastically the world and its water supply has changed, and what can or needs to be done about it.
The world’s capacity to respond to any crisis is limited by the information we have collected and connected on the topic. It is therefore critical that we dig deep to understand the global water crisis by combining the best of reporting, data gathering, and participation to understand the whole story, including the challenges and responses. From leveraging historical Big Data to real-time information, data holds the key to understanding everything from water quality to its scarcity and cost.
Being able to accurately derive the whole story that lies within the timely data is incredibly important when discussing a topic as vital as water. Strengthening mechanisms to measure data is the key to generating conversation in the interest of sharing knowledge on drought and water scarcity.
Having accurate data as well as being able to easily understand and interpret the story it tells allows better predictions to be made. This helps in the preparation of more effective and timely strategies such as relief aid and efficient management of systems. In sharing our data expertise with water experts, particularly through our CSR program, we get a hands-on look at how important data can be in solving real-world issues like water scarcity.