Integrated solutions that deliver 50L per day, per person
in-home water consumption in urban residential living.

Water has been a top five risk on the World Economic Forum Development Report for nine consecutive years. This speaks to the insufficiency of our collective efforts to-date to address this risk. We understand the impacts and dependencies of water on other key risks. For example, the failure of urban planning and critical infrastructure failure, and many other risk factors that are relevant for today’s discussions around water security.

Water risk manifests at a local level. And what we see is that more and more cities are impacted by water stress. Three quarters of the world’s largest 20 cities are experiencing water scarcity. This impacts food and energy security and ultimately causes hardship for people. In cities across the world from LA to São Paolo, from Cairo to Chennai, we are seeing city officials needing to respond. The water stress that Cape Town experienced in 2018 was a day-zero scenario where the threat of running out of water catalyzed much stakeholder action.

And as is often the case, crisis compels action, but can also lay the foundations for a more resilient future. At the height of the drought in Cape Town, citizens were limited to 50 liters per person per day. When one compares this to global averages, this is up to 10 times less than some cities in the US, for example. What Cape Town taught us was that 50 liters per person per day is sufficient. The need for concerted action between business, cities, and civil society to accelerate action towards water security, is where the 50 Liter Home Coalition works with multiple stakeholders to build a global movement that catalyzes action on the ground.

To learn more, please see below the materials from the virtual events organized by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, fellow Coalition member:

• August 24, 2020 – “50L Homes and the Future of Urban Water & Energy“: Virtual Session at 2020 World Water Week at Home | session recording and presentation
• September 22, 2020 – “Re-Inventing Our Urban Water Future“: Affiliate Session at World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2020 | session recording and presentation