In NY Times blog, John Lorinc reported on March 11 2010 that Ontario's government intends to make the Canadian province the "North America's clean water technology capital." Export-intensive cluster already employs 22,000 people in the province. Aim of the Ontario Clean Water Initiative by OCETA (Ontario Commercialization Network) is to provide incentives for businesses and investors to invest. In USA, the Milwaukee Region has similarly positioned itself as the "world water hub for freshwater research, economic development and education" by establishing Milwaukee 7 Water Council in 2007.
Lorinc writes that the special knowledge in the Great Lakes area was born out of the need to solve problems created by industrial pollution.
This may prove helpful for the rest of North America. At least 36 states in USA will face water shortages in the upcoming years, as freshwater supplies cannot meet the mounting demand. The problem, however, is worldwide. Drought has already badly hit southern Europe and Australia during the last decade. Likewise, the situation in China and India is expected to worsen in the near future. In total over 2 billion people worldwide could be facing water shortages by 2050.
These grave problems also bring opportunities. After decades of underinvestment, the global clean water sector is expected to grow massively, driven by population growth, water scarcity and energy efficiency efforts. The economic logic behind Ontario and Milwaukee is sound, and similar water clusters can be also found elsewhere. Various sources mention the small countries of Singapore and Israel as heavyweight players in the international water technology market. They are both densely populated countries, where national water clusters have developed in response to the demanding local conditions, and are now exporting their expertise with government-backing.
March 22 is the United Nations World Water Day.
Links and sources:
John Lorinc, NY Times / Green Inc.
OCETA - Ontario Clean Water Initiative
22 March 2010
