Pure water as global strategic resource

A priority task for all countries is to preserve pure water which is becoming one of the main strategic resources on the planet. This is what Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at the International Forum “Pure Water-2010” in Moscow. Over two and a half billion people lack drinking water today, he stressed.

This figure may double by 2050, as people continue abandoning their homes in droughty regions. Participants in the Pure Water-2010 forum gathered in Moscow to focus on the issues concerning the rational use of fresh water.

The meeting involves politicians, economists, scientists and businessmen from over 40 countries. It is worth mentioning that water consumption worldwide has been increasing at a record pace over the last century. Aggravated by global warming, the situation is rather complicated and requires prompt actions. Russia, which owns a fourth of global fresh water reserves, can contribute significantly to the solution of this problem. Moscow is therefore actively boosting cooperation with its foreign partners, Vladimir Putin said.

For instance, much has been done jointly with the EU and Baltic states to arrange Baltic Sea purification. Among other things, Mr. Putin touched upon Russia’s Water Strategy through 2020, which determined the country’s water complex development trends. This program is designed to promote the creation of regional projects on water supply and water treatment.

“At present, the program was submitted to the government for consideration and will be implemented from 2011 to 2017. Within the first three years 9 billion rubles or over 300 million dollars will be allocated from the federal budget,” Putin said.

We will try to make the best use of Russia’s competitive advantages in the still developing international water market, the Russian Prime Minister added.

Amid the planet’s growing temperatures, water may soon prove to be the most valuable liquid resource, which will inevitably offer ground for conflicts. In the nearest future, not only water but also goods produced with its help will be of great value, according to Director of the Institute of Water Problems Victor Danilov-Danilyan.

As for the huge reserves of fresh water in Russia, its value will keep growing in the context of the increasing water deficit. This can be used to sell not only water, but also water-retaining products, which are much more precious than the amounts of water used to manufacture them.

Moreover, as earlier outlined by the Chairman of the Federation Council Committee for Natural Resources and Environment Protection Victor Orlov, Russia is considering the establishment of a special-purpose water exchange to meet some possible requirements of other countries.

Voice of Russia