Rapid urbanisation and development are putting water resources in cities under extreme pressure. The challenges of tackling too little, too much and too dirty water are huge. Not least because only 2.5 percent of the world’s water is fresh water and less than 1% is portable. In other words, most fresh water is now too contaminated to drink. So who's is cleaning up?
Rapid urbanisation in developing countries is exasperating the problem of too little water. Providing clean and reliable water supplies in fast-growing urban areas in these countries is a major challenge, as water utility companies are reluctant to invest in the necessary infrastructure. Dutch organisation Aqua for all is part of the international iW+ Partnership, which breaks the cycle holding back investment in infrastructure, thus bringing down costs and facilitating a reliable water supply.
A megacity is like a beast that needs to be fed continuously. How can Beijing meet the needs of its city dwellers? That’s where high-tech agriculture comes in. In the capital’s green belt, Xu Dan and his team are using new techniques to produce vegetables to meet Beijing’s growing demand for food.
To sustainably feed the world’s largest urban areas, we need to bring food production back to the cities. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where large cities are surrounded by sand in almost every direction, climate and geography make this especially challenging. But not impossible. With agricultural technology and seeds from Dutch soil, sandy landscapes with limited water resources can feed some of the world’s largest cities. The Netherlands helps the UAE improve its food safety and security.
As a low-lying, densely-populated delta the Netherlands has had to be both creative and innovative. This also applies to sport. With a number of innovations launched in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, we have taken this global event to the highest level possible. This is specifically relevant given the current global pandemic, where travelling and uniting physically to celebrate sports is particularly difficult.
Water as Leverage is a Dutch-founded public-private partnership (PPP) programme which is inclusive and multidisciplinary, but what makes it stand out is the involvement of financial institutions right from the start. By creating bankable, scalable solutions, Water as Leverage acts as a blueprint that has already been adapted to urban areas across the world.
Tomorrow we begin celebrating 25 years of pride in Amsterdam. Albeit a little different to the traditional street parties across the city. A number of small activities will still take place in the Netherlands during the week and Pride Walk will go ahead on Saturday 7 August. Pride Walk is one of the main events this coming week in Amsterdam where many, independent of their sexual orientation, will (safely and at a distance) walk together in support and awareness of LGBTI people. The big festivities, such as the famous canal parades however, will have to wait until next year.