Growing pressure on the world’s water resources is having major impacts on our social and economic well-being. The Primary challenges facing humanity with regards to water are:

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• Water scarcity -  1.2 bn people live in water scarce areas and although there is enough overall  water is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed

• Water quality - problems caused by industry, agriculture and sewage are the major causes

• Water and ecosystems - Half the world's wetlands have been lost since 1900 and much of the remaining ones are severely degraded

• Globalisation and virtual water flows - Water is a key ingredient in almost all goods produced and exported around the world so global trade affects water scarcity across the world

• Climate change - significantly impacts water flows increasing rainfall and flooding and creating droughts

• Agriculture and depleting aquifers - The worlds aquifers either are or are close to exhaustion that threatens the world's food supply

• Enabling energy production - From hydroelectric, nuclear, fracking and electricity power stations all use huge quantities of water