Cities and farms pump more from the ground and from rivers than rain and snow can refill. In many places the loss can no longer be reversed, only managed.
of the world's water is freshwater we can easily reach
of the world's major aquifers are in long-term decline
Source: UNU-INWEH, Global Water Bankruptcy (2026)
Around 16,000 plants already make freshwater from the sea. Nearly all of them are built on the coast, which is where most of their problems come from.
Al Zour power and desalination plant, Kuwait
High-pressure pumps make it one of the most power-hungry ways to make water.
Large plants take up sites on the coast that are scarce and costly.
Surface intakes pull in sea life. Brine goes back out with treatment chemicals.
A large plant takes 36 to 40 months to build, before permits.
Algal blooms, jellyfish, storms and attacks have all shut plants down.
Sources: Flocean; BofA Global Research, Thematic Investing (November 2023)
