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Date
...but perhaps not for long.
At least...not without the help of many water-related projects and project managers with sustainability awareness in their arsenal of talents. Read on - you will find that as a project manager, you may be a strategic asset!
According to a U.S. State Department document released on World Water Day last year, the need for fresh water will exceed the supply by 40 percent by the year 2030.
The document contains this interesting graphic, so if you learn nothing else from this post, here is one takeway with the latest facts:
From this, we see that only 2.5% of the world's water is fresh water. And in turn, that is used for all of the items shown on the right part of the chart - agricultural, industrial, residential.
All of this points to shortages that concern us not only from an (important) ecological and business perspective but even as a security issue for the US.
Quoting from the document:
We assess that during the next 10 years,
"Water problems will contribute to instability in states important to US national security interests. Water shortages, poor water quality, and floods by themselves are unlikely to result in state failure. However, water problems—when combined with poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership, and weak political institutions—contribute to social disruptions that can result in state failure."
In other words, it can bring down whole governments.
Tying this in to project management, and also from this report, "Pressure will arise for a more engaged United States to make water a global priority and to support major development projects, including through financial assistance."
World Water Day was yesterday, but it's not too late to think about it. In fact, the entire year (2013) has been designated the U.N. International Year of Water Cooperation. It reflects the “multi-dimensional mandate in the realm of natural and social sciences, culture, education and communication, and its significant and long-standing contribution to the management of the world’s freshwater resources.”
Back to the U.S. State department report. As a project manager, ever felt "strategic"? Well, perhaps you should. Here's a gem for you:
"we assess that states will also use their inherent ability to construct and support major water projects to obtain regional influence or preserve their water interests.".
Where does that 'inherent ability to construct and support major water projects" come from? Well of course, partially from the natural resouces of the state, but also, from....YOU. You - as a PM - are part of the states' ability to support the projects. So congratulations on your newfound strategic value!
Read more here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2013/03/22/world-water-day-a-forceful-reminder-that-the-u-s-is-running-out-of-fresh-water/
Posted
by
Richard Maltzman
on: March 23, 2013 02:38 PM |
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