Most of the water we use is not included in the water bill, it is hidden in every object or in food, in our trips and in our work. It is not the water that flows in the shower or out of the faucet in the bath or the kitchen, it is the water used in the supply chain of goods and services. The water footprint provides this information and informs us that we are trading with water without even realizing it. We therefore contribute to the “transfer” of millions of liters between countries and continents. It is a key factor in the equation of the planet’s sustainability.

The unstoppable exponential growth of cities will turn us into an eminently urban species in a few decades. For life on Earth to be sustainable cities also need to be so, and this will not be possible without the smart technologies integrated in circular economy. Their implementation is a great challenge for poor economies, which are most overwhelmed by urban growth and are not able to supply water and sanitation. This needs to be an international responsibility because what happens in these cities will be decisive for life on Earth.

Nature shows us that the solutions to the severe hydric and environmental challenges we face involve respecting and observing the water cycle and harmonizing with it. The first step to achieve this is to understand its importance in life, its vulnerability and to recognize how we are altering it. “The answer is in nature” is the theme of World Water Day this year; if we want nature to remain our teacher, then we must take care of it before it’s too late.  

The collection of rainwater is vital in the most arid regions of India. The severe drought and the uneven rainfall in these regions bring about a return of the ancestral rainfall collection techniques. Thanks to their regenerating effect on aquifers, they have become a key element in the fight against desertification and in the empowerment of the poorest farmers. The rains in September and October have proved that the small reservoirs and tanks such as the ones in Gajikunta and Girigetla are the basis of the life of all farmers in their surroundings.

Tourism is a promising economic driver for many emerging countries and one of the key distribution elements of wealth in the world. But it is a great consumer of water and it has a special impact on the environment. The sector is directly menaced by climate change and should advance with proper management towards a sustainable model that serves as a reference.

Can Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, New Delhi... become cities that regenerate as many resources as they consume? This is a very high demand, a utopia according to many, but from the water perspective we need to start thinking about making it possible or at least, about getting close to it. We need to be close to the concept of reuse, and in many cases time is of the essence.

• Nine experts gathered for the Masterclass Water and jobs. The power to transform our lives, organised by the We Are Water Foundation, share with students the current challenge posed by the water economy that affects us all.
• Awareness-raising, coordination and cooperation from all of us are the keys to manage our most precious resource, which is also the most threatened one.
• Companies are essential to attain any goal.

• The solid multidisciplinary formation of the skippers makes a two crew round-the-world trip like the Barcelona World Race possible.
• Climatology, meteorology, medicine and engineering are essential in single-handed and two-crew sailing.
• Organisation aboard an IMOCA 60 shows an analogy with the projects of the We Are Water Foundation which takes water and sanitation to deprived areas with the aim of sustainability.