Every Drop Counts: Here's Where Water Security Efforts are Missing the Mark The future of water security will not be built on yesterday's solutions.

The 1800s are when water shortages first appeared in historical records, in the industrial era.

Fast-forward to today, it's been over three decades since water scarcity, and the concerns around it, were a key focus at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment & Development in 1992. While the importance of this issue was growing at the time, comprehensive data was limited.

The UN introduced 'World Water Day' one year later, now taking place every year on March 22nd, urging action towards tackling this global crisis. And in 1994, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated the number of people without access to clean drinking water at 1.3 billion.

Where Do We Stand Today?

Extensive research shows the increasing severity and the multifaceted nature of water scarcity worldwide, as 703 million people worldwide – 1 in 11 people – lack access to clean water (in general) and 2.2 billion do not have access to safely managed drinking water services.

To make matters worse, global freshwater demand is projected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030; despite the UN aiming to facilitate universal access to clean water and sanitation before the decade ends. And by 2050, five billion people annually are expected to face inadequate access to water for at least one month a year (up from 3.6 billion people in 2024).

Where Are We Falling Short?

Long story short – everywhere.

To paint the picture a little bit more eloquently, traditional water sources are becoming increasingly unreliable; groundwater reserves are being depleted faster than they can replenish, reservoirs are drying up due to rising temperatures, and pollution is further reducing the availability of safe drinking water.

Parts of the United States (US), particularly the Southwest, have faced extreme droughts. The Colorado River, for instance, which supplies water to about 40 million people in seven states, has declined by 20% over the last century and scientists predict that the river's flows could shrink by as much as 31% by 2050. Water shortages are also a pressing reality in the United Kingdom (UK) where aging water infrastructure leads to billions of liters of wasted water annually.

Sub-Saharan Africa is also seeing high levels of water scarcity, limited infrastructure, and a major lack of clean drinking water, with demand growing faster there than any other region in the world; by 2050, its water demand is expected to skyrocket by 163% (four times the rate of change compared to Latin America, the second-highest region, which is expected to see a 43% increase in water demand during this period while currently dealing with unequal water access). South Asia faces similar concerns with growing water stress due to population growth and pollution.

Large-scale desalination plants, particularly in regions like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), have been looked to as a solution in recent years but they require significant energy inputs and infrastructure, making them costly and environmentally challenging in the long run.

With conventional solutions struggling to keep up, the world needs a fundamental shift in how we approach water security – and that shift is underway, in the form of Atmospheric Water Generation (AGW), poised to see mass adoption soon.

A Scalable Solution With Seemingly Infinite Potential

With AWG's ability to extract clean water directly from the air, this technology provides a decentralized and scalable alternative to traditional sources which requires no reliance on existing water infrastructure or natural freshwater supplies. Most importantly, it has the power to adequately address water scarcity.

As innovation progresses, and AWG becomes more energy-efficient, adaptable to varying climates, and deployable at scale, it boasts the potential to be used everywhere – including urban areas, remote locations, and disaster-stricken zones because unlike traditional desalination, AWG doesn't rely on seawater or large plants.

As of 2025, the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China and India, is leading the adoption of AWG technology with approximately 25% of global market share. The UAE, as usual, is also following suit with Dubai housing one of the largest air-to-water bottling facilities in the region (generating upwards of 100,000 liters of water per day) and hospitality outlets like the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr in Abu Dhabi having generated over 700,000 liters of water from the air in total since 2023 to help position the country is a leader in the water-technology space.

Combatting Water Security Requires Immediate Action

Ensuring universal access to clean water requires more than just innovation – it demands collaboration. Governments across the globe must integrate sustainable water solutions into national policies, businesses must invest in resilient technologies, and individuals must advocate for more responsible water consumption.

With World Water Day serving as a reminder of how far we've come – and how far we still must go – one thing is clear: the future of water security will not be built on yesterday's solutions.

The path forward lies in new technologies, bold thinking, and sustainable action.