Water: The Elixir Of Life And Fuel For The Economy

One of the greatest challenges that we face in the future is supplying the world with clean water. This is inextricably linked with the energy-efficient recycling of wastewater. Resource-efficient process automation has a pivotal role to play here.

At first glance, water appears to be an inexhaustible resource. But appearances can be deceiving. Although three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered by water, only around 0.3 per cent of this is available as drinking water. Of the around 1.38 billion cubic kilometres of water reserves that we have on our planet, only around 48 million cubic kilometres are fresh water. Most of it is not accessible for direct use, as it is bound up as polar and glacial ice or permafrost. The rest of the world’s water, around 97.5 per cent, consists of salt and brackish water.