Water: Recycle, Reclaim & Restore Role of Biotechnology

Water: Recycle, Reclaim & RestoreWater: Recycle, Reclaim & Restore Role of Biotechnology Role of Biotechnology

Margaret Catley-Margaret Catley-CarlsonCarlson

UN Secretary UN Secretary General Advisory General Advisory Board on Water, Board on Water, World Economic World Economic

Forum (Davos) Forum (Davos) Chair Water GICChair Water GIC

International Water International Water Management Management

InstituteInstituteSuez EnvironmentSuez Environment

Global Water Global Water PartnershipPartnership

Biovision 2010Biovision 2010

‘‘

Biotechnology and water shortageBiotechnology and water shortage

Why this is central to the future we want. Why this is central to the future we want.

Why we need to accept new challenges ayWhy we need to accept new challenges ay

The role of biotechnologyThe role of biotechnology

Challenges NOWChallenges NOW

Our World Our World Growing population Growing population

Exploding urban populationExploding urban population

Deaths from water scarcity (12 M / year)Deaths from water scarcity (12 M / year)

Increased poverty in developing countriesIncreased poverty in developing countries

0

5000

10000

2000 2025

world population

urban population

Source : Masons Water Yearbook 2001

World Bank 2002

Water availabilityWater availability

Climatic changesClimatic changes

Growing pollutionGrowing pollution

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1995 2025

World population suffering from water shortage (millions)

Inadequate water supply No water supply

Diminishing Resources Diminishing Resources WorldwideWorldwide

Source : Masons Water Yearbook 2001

World Bank 2002

Water Scarcity 2000

1/3 of the world’s population live in basins that have to deal with water scarcity

..

Source: UN, Water a shared responsibility,New York 2006

Regions where water withdrawals Regions where water withdrawals are exceeding natural supplyare exceeding natural supply

LE

NG

EL

EN

GE

20302030

withdrawalswithdrawals

66,,9900004,500

1,500

900

2%2%

Basins Basins

with with

surplus

Basins Basins

with with

deficits

4040%%

110000

New Voices: McKinsey 2010: Future demand for water New Voices: McKinsey 2010: Future demand for water will outstrip our capacity to provide itwill outstrip our capacity to provide it

MunicipaMunicipal &l &

DomestiDomesticc

AgricultAgricultureure

IndustryIndustry

4,4,505000

ExistingExisting

withdrawalswithdrawals

3,100

800

600

ExistingExisting

accessible, accessible, reliable, reliable, sustainablesustainable supplysupply

Surface Surface waterwater

3,500

4,4,202000

GroundwaGroundwaterter

700

..

NE

ED

AC

TIO

NN

EE

D A

CT

ION

McKinsey - Business-as-usual approaches will not meet McKinsey - Business-as-usual approaches will not meet demand for raw waterdemand for raw water

Demand with Demand with no no productivity productivity improvementimprovementss

Existing Existing accessible, accessible, reliable, reliable, sustainablesustainable supplysupply

TodayToday 20302030

6,0006,000

5,0005,000

3,0003,000

8,0008,000

7,0007,000Improvements in Improvements in water water productivity at productivity at historical rateshistorical rates

20%20%

Remaining gapRemaining gap 60%60%

Portion of gapPortion of gapPercentPercent

Increase in Increase in supply at supply at historical rateshistorical rates

20%20%

Billion m3

‘‘

So – with all this rising demand – So – with all this rising demand – How do we create this better water world?How do we create this better water world?

And with BIOTECH??And with BIOTECH??

StorageStorage

ConservationConservation

Agricultural productivity improvementAgricultural productivity improvement

Brackish water – agriculture and Brackish water – agriculture and industrialindustrial

Re use, recycling, reclaiming waterRe use, recycling, reclaiming water

New Storage: New Storage: Huge discrepancies in Huge discrepancies in hydraulic infrastructure between developed hydraulic infrastructure between developed

and developing countriesand developing countries

Storage per person (m3)

6

40

43

746

1,287

1,406

2,486

3,255

4,729

6,150

0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000

Nepal

Jordan

Ethiopia

South Africa

Thailand

Laos

China

Brazil

Australia

North America

2 - 5 litres

daily

20 – 500 litres

daily500 – 3000 litres

per kg

Why do we need water?

2000 l/day - vegetarian diet5000 l/day - grainfed meat diet

Reminding ourselves why we need water….

Why do we need water? Food – 75% It takes a litre of water to produce every calorie, on average

Irrigation lifts rural poor out of Irrigation lifts rural poor out of povertypoverty

Income per capita

Average income levels and irrigation intensity in India

Source: FAO data, graphic from SEI

The 850 million undernourished.

Nutrition, food security, income

Vulnerable to loss of water

Employment

Lower Food Prices

Dependent on Water for Agriculture?

There are few options outside

of agriculture for most rural poor

at present

Business environment

Water used to generate energy

Energy used for water

Extraction & refining

Fuel production(Ethanol, Hydrogen)

Hydropower

Thermoelectric cooling

Waste water treatment Extraction & transmission

Drinking water treatmentEnergy associated with uses of water

Water is used for energy generation

energy: consumed in water extraction, distribution, treatment and desalination

The water sector is increasingly becoming a significant energy consumer

Business environment

Water is used for energy generation and energy is consumed in water extraction, distribution,

treatment and desalination

1

2.5

2.5

3.6

8.5

9

13

14

17

0.2

1

1

3.6

3.6

7.4

10.5

9

8Mechanical Vapor Compression

MED with thermo compression

Multiple Stage Flash

Multiple Effect Distillation

Seawater RO

Water Transfer > 350 km

Brackish water RO

Waste Water Reuse

Conventional treatment

Total (thermal & electrical) – KWh/m3

Specific Energy Consumption for Different Water Sources

''

Biotechnology needed to improve Biotechnology needed to improve productivity: further growth in yieldsproductivity: further growth in yields

United United StatesStates

ChinChinaa

Latin Latin AmericaAmerica

Sub-Saharan Sub-Saharan AfricaAfrica

New Science to reduce the New Science to reduce the water needed: feed & fodder. water needed: feed & fodder.

Food demand doubles over the next 50 because of diet and population

Water Needs (ET) will double – without water productivity gains

..

We have toWe have to lose less – and re-use morelose less – and re-use more

in this system.in this system.

The main problem??The main problem??

We don’t value waterWe don’t value water

Irrigation systems – 40-60% efficiency norm in Irrigation systems – 40-60% efficiency norm in too many placestoo many places

Municipal systems – 30% unaccounted for waterMunicipal systems – 30% unaccounted for water

We leave taps running – literally and We leave taps running – literally and metaphoricallymetaphorically

We don’t pay enough for itWe don’t pay enough for it

We don’t design it in as a scarce VALUABLEWe don’t design it in as a scarce VALUABLE

Water sparing, disease resistant high yield Water sparing, disease resistant high yield cropscrops

Buildings that are water neutral…. Buildings that are water neutral….

Desalination………..IFDesalination………..IF

Waste Water Energy SourcesWaste Water Energy Sources

Waste Water ReUse - agricultureWaste Water ReUse - agriculture

New Urban Design – the cell phone not the New Urban Design – the cell phone not the landline.landline.

Great New IdeasGreat New Ideas(the world we need to create)(the world we need to create)

‘

We also need to recycle and re-use We also need to recycle and re-use water: we are starting to talk water: we are starting to talk

The New Waste Water WorldThe New Waste Water World– Technologies that create ‘cascading use’ – Technologies that create ‘cascading use’ –

clean water for drinking and personal use,clean water for drinking and personal use,cascading down to grey water which can be ‘cleaned enough’ for cascading down to grey water which can be ‘cleaned enough’ for agricultural, urban, and industrial use agricultural, urban, and industrial use which can be ‘cleaned enough’ for recycling or environmental which can be ‘cleaned enough’ for recycling or environmental recharge etcrecharge etcSewage, either harvested for energy and/or nutrients then ‘cleaned Sewage, either harvested for energy and/or nutrients then ‘cleaned enough’ for agricultural or environmental use.enough’ for agricultural or environmental use.

– Filters, energy sparing devices, re-use devices, reed bed Filters, energy sparing devices, re-use devices, reed bed examples examples

– ““As small as possible – as big as necessary”: As small as possible – as big as necessary”: collection of existing prototypes and development of new designs for collection of existing prototypes and development of new designs for small cities and urban units. small cities and urban units. mosaic of modules in the cities, not uniform design types.mosaic of modules in the cities, not uniform design types.

;;

Modular installationsModular installations – Replace city wide trunk and branch systems in not-served (and Replace city wide trunk and branch systems in not-served (and

refurbishment) areas; refurbishment) areas; – Acceptance of Acceptance of a mosaic of methods a mosaic of methods – adoption of the idea of ‘getting started’ with an initial module,)adoption of the idea of ‘getting started’ with an initial module,)

Collection and piping systems that allow “Collection and piping systems that allow “like sewage/like like sewage/like wastewater” to be collected and treatedwastewater” to be collected and treated – opens doors to ecosystem, small scale and biological methodsopens doors to ecosystem, small scale and biological methods– new high tech, even energy harvesting methods.new high tech, even energy harvesting methods.

Treatment which corresponds to the next use of the waterTreatment which corresponds to the next use of the water, , – aquifer or river recharge, aquifer or river recharge, – agricultural or agricultural or – industrial use.industrial use.– ““just clean enough”, just clean enough”, – Nutrients saved, health better protected and costs cut deeply. Nutrients saved, health better protected and costs cut deeply.

Mechanisms we needMechanisms we need

– Financial mechanisms – taxes, subsidies, Financial mechanisms – taxes, subsidies, concessions, etc. to encourage the extraction concessions, etc. to encourage the extraction of resources from wastewater (when of resources from wastewater (when Wastewater is seen as a resource, the Wastewater is seen as a resource, the incentive package changes)incentive package changes)

– lending and capital market financing for new lending and capital market financing for new solutionssolutions

– research awards for solutions now: getting research awards for solutions now: getting pathogens out of sewage and leaving pathogens out of sewage and leaving nutrients nutrients

It is clear that this has to be part of It is clear that this has to be part of the solution….the solution….

Speaking about the unspokenSpeaking about the unspoken

Wastewater irrigation is common in 3 of 4 Wastewater irrigation is common in 3 of 4 cities in developing countriescities in developing countries

Ca. 20 million ha are irrigated with raw or Ca. 20 million ha are irrigated with raw or diluted wastewater (10% of Asia; 2 x Africa)diluted wastewater (10% of Asia; 2 x Africa)

Another part of the solution…

Moving research into practice to Moving research into practice to improve health outcomes….improve health outcomes….

Facilitating the impactpathway

towardsadoption of safer irrigation practices

Raises difficult questions…Raises difficult questions…bioresearch areasbioresearch areas

1.1. Safe and productive use of wastewaterSafe and productive use of wastewaterField level action research to enhance food Field level action research to enhance food

safetysafety

2.2. Integration of urban development, agriculture Integration of urban development, agriculture and the environmentand the environment

Modelling up- and downstream impacts of citiesModelling up- and downstream impacts of cities

3.3. Institutional capacity building for sustainable Institutional capacity building for sustainable urban water resources managementurban water resources management

Multi-stakeholder processes and policy supportMulti-stakeholder processes and policy support

To make the invisible risksTo make the invisible risks visiblevisible

Good Science needed nowGood Science needed now.. ‚ ‚