Water News

Water security is an issue that affects everyone. Whether a given person is one of the 3 billion people around the world currently affected by water shortages, or whether they are farmers and ranchers who are responsible for food produced in regions that are at risk of severe water stress, water plays a key role in the health of the human population – and the planet.

At the same time, water is a complicated issue to understand. From new regulations on groundwater pumping in California to private investments in water rights in Colorado, it can be difficult to fully absorb the increasing quantities of water news.

There are reasons why water news is showing up more often in publications and articles. The vital importance of water has always been there, but with droughts, climate change, wet droughts, quality issues, and more, the realization of the urgency of proper water management is starting to transcend the status quo that is poor water management. Business and societal trends have begun to reflect that and, therefore, so have news mediums.

AQUAOSO believes that access to up-to-date water information is key to bringing about positive change. Having access to reliable resources creates a common ground and allows for water innovation to happen faster, for projects to be funded faster, and for stakeholders to collaborate on innovative water solutions better.

In this space, the team at AQUAOSO will be aggregating the latest water news into one place so that readers can stay informed and are empowered to make better business decisions. Indeed, water risk is business risk.

Water and its Influence

Awareness of water scarcity and the need for populations to conserve water resources is nothing new. According to a report by the University of Arizona:

“Water conservation has been practiced in one form or another …. for a very long time… Upon observing the scarcity of water in these desert lands, early inhabitants then calculated what efforts would be required to live with the available supply. They then lived their lives to fit the arid conditions of the area, taking care that the sparse water supplies were carefully and fairly used.”

In 1922, seven states signed the Colorado River Compact, which allocated access to irrigation water from the Colorado River and is still in place today.

However, water usage has come under renewed scrutiny in many U.S. states, in part due to a growing population, increased demand for water, and an awareness of the decreasing usable freshwater resources that people rely on. In particular, groundwater pumping has led to the depletion of aquifers in some of the most important growing regions in the U.S. In many areas, improper groundwater pumping has lead to land subsidence as well.

Despite this increased awareness, though, water risk ought to be top-of-mind, and has yet to be truly accounted for in the business sector. One report found that, even when companies do account for water scarcity, they don’t account for related risks, such as “agricultural runoff, impaired ecosystems, [and] regulatory risks.”

The effects of water scarcity aren’t limited to food production, either. One study found that nearly 20 percent of the population is at risk of land subsidence, or sinking, due to aquifer depletion – which could affect real estate markets around the world. In short, better water management practices can’t be an afterthought.

How Water Risk is Related to Climate Risk

The speed with which the investment and business community has been responding to climate risk is encouraging – and potentially gives a blueprint for responding to water risk. A report by BlackRock Inc. found that when it comes to climate,

“The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Accord both offer goal-oriented frameworks to which investors are already aiming. While adoption of these frameworks is currently low, respondents expect adoption to increase.”

This focus should also extend to water stress. Not only are water issues exacerbated by climate change – in part due to changing rainfall and snowpack patterns, they also contribute to it. Transporting water for agriculture a carbon-intensive endeavor, but soil erosion, salinization, and other environmental effects such as changes in the water cycle, wet droughts, ground subsidence are contributing to the larger climate change crisis:

“Erosion degrades land, which means it can support fewer plants that can take in climate-warming carbon dioxide… Better land management can help keep soils intact so they can grow more carbon-sucking vegetation….. The risk of erosion will become even higher in the future due to emissions-driven temperature changes, with resulting decreases in agricultural production, land value, and human health.”

One of the main drivers of this increased focus on climate change is the news. Growers, governments, investors, and other stakeholders are hearing more and more about these issues on a regular basis, and it’s spurring them to take action.

A similar awareness of water risk – and all of its financial implications – is key to creating a more water-resilient future, and reducing stress on our economies and communities.

Why Keeping Up With Water News is So Important

It’s more important than ever to stay on top of water-related information, regardless of location or industry. AQUAOSO currently focuses on water risk in agriculture, but many of the same concerns apply to other industries as well.

A report by BlackRock explored the implications of water stress across several market sectors. They found that “60% of the global REIT properties [they] were able to geolocate will experience high water stress by 2030.” More transparency and collaboration will be needed across industries to tackle the challenges of water risk and climate change.

AQUAOSO is dedicated to working toward water resilience through local and regional partnerships, data collection, and content sharing efforts. Our resources page includes guides for agricultural investors and other land professionals, while our Water Security Platform provides reliable, real-time data to a range of stakeholders in the industry.

AQUAOSO’s Water Security Platform and content aim to open the door to water resilience. Track water trends in a specific agricultural region, or look up water rights and water security data on a particular parcel of land. With access to more data, stakeholders across the board can make better decisions about land and water use, and act from a place of knowledge rather than uncertainty.

Read below for relevant water news articles broken down by category so it’s easy to find the information needed for informed decision making around water risk.

Un-siloed knowledge provides a common ground that sparks positive change.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Water Risk = Business Risk
• Water Economics
• Water Scarcity
• Bottom Line