Will Sarni

More than 1 in 10 Americans get some, if not all, of their municipal water from the Colorado River Basin. It's drying up, putting our food and economy at grave risk.

The rush is on to invest in the water sector, driving innovative solutions to address water scarcity, poor quality and access to safe drinking water.

Water insecurity due to climate change has the potential to uproot nearly every aspect of modern society: food production, urban and rural settlements, energy production, industrial development, economic growth, and natural ecosystems.

Digital water technologies can better support the workforce, decrease business disruption, and contribute to more sustainable operations.

Many water sources are drying up, becoming more polluted, or both. Water-intensive industry, agriculture, and energy generation are growing to meet the needs of an ever-expanding population, resulting in further water scarcity and stress. What can we do to solve water?

As the public sector worldwide continues to struggle to solve economic, environmental and social challenges, the private sector is now being called upon to fill the gap. Companies are going to have to be essential stakeholders if we are ever going to solve our most wicked problems.

The harsh reality is that water is finite, increasing in demand, poorly governed, undervalued and there is no replacement. Businesses across a range of sectors – from energy to agriculture to food and beverage – are discovering the importance of water use across their value chain.

As more of the disenfranchised join the global economy, the longstanding water crisis will worsen. But now there's progress with tech to manage water efficiently and equitably.