These three disconnected words eventually will weave into one — hope. Hope for a world with majestic willows around brilliant blue lakes. And hope for a world with conscientious humans taking responsibility for a change.

History is testimony that civilizations have flourished and vanished around water bodies. Wars of the future, viz. the informally predicted World War III, will be over water rather than power. A forty percent shortfall in freshwater resources by 2030 coupled with a rising world population has the world careening towards a global water crisis. The threat is real and has compelled policymakers, industries, and various corporates to act towards the impending water crisis.

The world now understands that the availability and accessibility of clean water runs through all three pillars of sustainable development — with water resources impacting the environment, social and economic growth. Access to clean water checks off multiple development prospects like better health, poverty reduction, food security, saving ecosystems, affordable education, and most importantly — protection of peace and basic human rights. Unfortunately, this essential resource is still a luxury for over two billion people across the globe.

Saudi Arabia that ranks 8th for water stress has started a new program called “Qatrah” (“droplet”) that aims to reduce water usage by 43% within the next decade.

Furthermore, water availability is becoming more precarious day by day. Droughts, pollution, reckless extraction of groundwater, and extensive deforestation are all aggravating the pace at which we are losing usable and cheap freshwater. India, China, and the United States are losing their largest reservoirs of groundwater to the point of irreversible exhaustion. All of this is ultimately threatening sustainable development and biodiversity worldwide. SDG Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) laid down by the UNDP addresses our imminent global water crisis.

Rio, despite all the opposition, has successfully sold rights to its water and sewage treatment to two private companies whose goal by 2033 is the collection and treatment of 90% sewage water.