Longer Term Investments: water scarcity

Water is essential to life and represents a key driver of economic growth. Unfortunately, fresh water is distributed unequally. Many countries confront the increasing challenge of scarcity while some face overabundance. Limited access to safe drinking water and adequate wastewater management is a widespread problem, and water scarcity makes it difficult to improve overall health, prevent poverty and stimulate economic growth in many countries. Forty per cent of people around the world live in regions that suffer from water stress – and that figure is projected to rise to 55 per cent within the next 30 years. This is part of the UBS Longer Term Investments series, which contains thematic investment ideas based on long-term structural developments.