Water infrastructure: an investment in our future

This year, World Water Day 2025 (March 22) focuses on glacier preservation, a theme that highlights the urgent reality of climate change. As glaciers melt at an alarming rate, our water cycle becomes more unpredictable – leading to floods, droughts, and landslides that threaten communities worldwide.

Recognizing the critical role of glaciers, the United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, with the first-ever World Day for Glaciers on March 21. This global initiative sheds light on how the cryosphere (Earth’s frozen water), climate change, and water security are all deeply interconnected, impacting economies, ecosystems, and everyday life.

The focus on our water systems underscores a critical reality – investing in water infrastructure is no longer a choice, it is a necessity. Securing our water supply is essential for livelihoods, agriculture, and industries.

Billions worldwide still lack access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Climate change, population growth and an aging infrastructure continue to strain our water systems. Groundwater supplies are depleting across the world and the world’s glaciers are melting faster. The confluence of these factors increases the risk of water scarcity. With the global demand of water expected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, smart and sustainable water management will support:

While there is a clear need to invest in our water resources, governments face huge funding gaps. According to the World Bank, $6.7 trillion will need to be mobilized by 2030 for global water infrastructure, in order to meet our water-related SDG commitments and address decades of underinvestment.

A water-secure future requires governments, industries and communities to work together to:

• Modernize water infrastructure with innovative technologies and efficient treatment systems.

• Prioritize water efficiency in industrial processes, including circular water systems that recycle and reuse water wherever possible.

• Identify funding opportunities and partnerships between public and private sectors to fast-track sustainability targets.

Even as we take action to address water security and scarcity, we cannot forget that glacial preservation is key to our survival. Glaciers represent the largest reservoir of fresh water on our planet. Protecting our frozen water systems will help manage extreme weather events and safeguard ecosystems.