As we mark this year’s World Water Day to highlight UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation for All , it’s worth reflecting on the far-reaching effects of water scarcity – and the private sector’s role in closing the gap between the aims of SDG6 and its results to date.
Water for Peace
The theme for World Water Day 2024 is Water for Peace. Water scarcity is often a source of tension, putting those who have access against those who don’t – it leads to disputes, exacerbates existing conflicts, and creates barriers to peace and stability in communities and societies that are unstable even without freshwater challenges.
Water scarcity: a social issue with personal consequences
Access to water, and water scarcity, are structural issues – they affect the ways in which societies function. Many industries rely on water for everything from the production of their products to cooling and maintaining their plant and equipment. Small businesses rely on water for daily operations. Families depend on fresh water for health and hygiene, and children require it for their growth and development.
Of particular concern when we consider the societal implications of water scarcity are the physical security issues around the supply of clean, fresh water – particularly in countries that haven’t reached social and political stability; countries affected by war and violence. For far too many people in the world today, socio-political and economic violence is a reality that robs them of the things in life that should be taken for granted. Key amongst these is the ability to quench a thirst with a glass of clean, fresh water. Many in relatively stable countries take this for granted. For some, that simple act remains a luxury.
A pipeline to widespread water supply infrastructure and accessibility
Deploying water to areas with inadequate infrastructure is central to supporting societies and people who urgently need stable access to water. At Chelsea Group, we’re focused on answering this call – we understand the private sector’s role in the mission to achieve the 2030 Agenda, and we work hard to leverage the innovation and collaboration possible within private business to make clean water more accessible to more people.
Chelsea Water commissioned its first desalination plant in 2014 at Chelsea Village hotel, in response to a need for a sustainable water source in-house. As we often find ourselves working in conflict-affected regions and rural areas in remote parts of the world, setting up adequate accommodation with appropriate infrastructure is a recurrent challenge. A seed was planted: today, our solutions in Mogadishu ensure rare access to clean water, to World Health Organisation standards, for more than 200 people. We built on the knowledge we gained with this project, and today also service and assist organisations in responding to ongoing water challenges in complex environments and under-served rural locations.
An opportunity for meaningful private sector intervention in water access
In identifying this challenge and innovating effective solutions, it became clear that Chelsea Group had a major opportunity to become a private sector supplier making a sustainable impact in the lives of people all over the world.
Through Chelsea Water, we provide rapidly deployable, flexible water solutions that meet the challenges of high-risk, rural and conflict-affected environments. We offer a broad range of solutions – from large-scale filtration plants (up to 20 million litres per day) to portable devices for emergency situations (1000 litres per day), with both to-buy and to-rent options available.
Chelsea Water’s solutions are able to treat and purify brackish and industrial water, including the treatment of toxic mine water and effluent from municipalities. Our desalination products and systems are able to convert seawater, of which there is an abundant supply, into freshwater fit for human use and consumption. Select products also address another standard issue in complex environments, that of power supply, via our range of solar-powered water treatment options.
We believe that water is not just a basic necessity. We believe that clean, fresh water for human consumption should be accessible to all as a fundamental right. But unfortunately, far too many communities around the globe face water scarcity, contamination, and unequal access to clean fresh water.
Collaboration towards clean water and sanitation for all
But we don’t believe in working alone; partnerships and collaborations across borders and sectors are critical if we’re to tackle complex water issues effectively. In addition to Nuwater, an industry-leading smart water treatment solutions company based in South Africa, we also work with governments, NGOs, and local communities to create sustainable solutions to water insecurity for generations to come.
The state of the world’s water directly impacts every aspect of our lives, highlighting the urgency of addressing water challenges collectively and collaboratively. Join us in spreading the word about the UN World Water Day 2024: Water for Peace, and an appreciation of water as a precious resource. Let’s provoke conversations about water access and water scarcity, especially in conflict zones and rural locations around the world, and draw attention to the possibilities that exist when public, private, and individual players form meaningful partnerships fuelled by a determination to bring fair distribution of resources to all.
Learn more about Chelsea Water’s range of water solutions in Mogadishu, Somalia, and beyond.
