Already, 2.8 billion people — or 44% of the world’s population — live in areas of high water stress,
according to a March report by the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development OECD). This figure is expected to rise to 3.9 billion by 2030 unless
major new water-use policies are implemented. Much of the stress will occur in India, China, and
other parts of the developing world, but water stress in the OECD will rise as well. An investment of $10 billion
annually is necessary in order to halve the number of people without adequate access to fresh water and sanitation by 2015, the OECD said.
General Electric vaulted into the top tier of desalination suppliers in 2004 when it paid $1.1 billion to
acquire Ionics, which builds desalination plants and makes filter membranes. Paris-based Veolia
Environnement is a major desalination plant builder and membrane supplier, as well as a water utility operator, getting about 34% of its revenue from water-related businesses.
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