UN Secretary says world’s water crisis calls for business action

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for more partnerships between governments and business to better use and conserve water.
He said there are 46 countries, home to 2.7 billion people, where climate change and water related crises create a high risk of violent conflict. Another 56 countries, home to 1.2 billion people, are at a high risk of political instability. “That’s more than half the world,” Ban Ki-Moon said.
In an article published to mark World Water Day, he wrote: “We are at the early stages of [an] awakening. But there are some encouraging signs, especially in the private sector. Corporations have long been viewed as culprits. The smoke stacks from power plants pollute our air; the effluents from industry spoil our rivers. But this is changing — more and more today, businesses are working to become part of the solution, rather than the problem.”