Water Futures, a New Economic Indicator?

With a world population growing beyond 7 billion people, increased urbanization, and climate change, clean water will become increasingly scarce and valuable.  According to Kirsty Jenkinson of the World Resources Institute, water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century; furthermore, she is predicting an 18% increase in the next 15 years for developed countries, and a 50% increase in developing countries. Water shortages have already affected the bottom line of companies such as The Gap, Nestle, and Kraft Foods Inc. Will water futures be traded on Wall Street like corn or soybean futures some day? Sustainable integrated water resource management is a direction many nations are starting to move towards. Only by managing water as one resource, will we be able to effectively adapt to changing climates and growing populations.

Source: Mother Nature Network