Tomorrow's Water Has Less Government Funding, GWI Says
In just six years, capital expenditure on water infrastructure will rise to $131 billion, $115 billion on wastewater infrastructure and $22 billion on equipment sales to industrial users, according to a new report from Global Water Intelligence (GWI) magazine.
These increases will be driven by three global mega-trends ─ urbanization, scarcity, and environmental protection. Governments will increasingly expect water utilities to finance themselves.
This global forecast indicates that current financial pressures will force governments to withdraw sustained financial support to municipalities. As a consequence, a new group of high-performance, self-financing companies is already taking advantage of increased options for growth; opportunities arising due to the greater demand for advanced water and wastewater technologies, especially for desalination and water reuse, and, in particular, a new demand in the industrial water market where treating water from oil and gas production offers new sources of revenue for water technology companies.
The report's data show that these opportunities will keep the North American market buoyant while the Western European market matures. China, currently enjoying a massive spurt on stimulus-based expenditure, will briefly overtake the United States as the largest market in the world in terms of capital expenditure.
Based on its 2008 report, Global Water Markets 2011 (available for $3,500) is fully re-written and updated to include a greater focus on reuse and industrial water and the consequent recent surge in technological solutions.
Extended profiles include data and information that is researched by experts native to the countries concerned, using their own network of contacts in both public and private sectors.