The unspoken value of water infrastructure
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Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Water infrastructure forms the backbone of development, being pivotal for water, food and energy security. Both existing and new infrastructure must cope with global climatic challenges and increased human activity. Continuous investment in water infrastructure is crucial, yet in many cases, investments are deferred as they are not perceived as a priority, leading to deterioration, and public attention typically only arises after accidents or malfunctions occur. A prevailing lack of social awareness, combined with the mismatch between infrastructure lifespan and political cycles, further limits political will—especially regarding investment in ageing systems. This article was prepared to accentuate the extraordinary value provided by water infrastructure. Examples of recent global events are used to exhibit the profound benefits that rarely make their way into traditional cost-benefit analyses to inform decision making. These examples also showcase how essential sustainable development activities (SDG 6, 7, 9) would be severely compromised in their absence. This perspective also contributes to the ongoing debate about water infrastructure not being “fit for finance”, arguing that current financing and investment frameworks –as well as public perception– fail to capture the true societal and macroeconomic value of such systems, thus reinforcing their importance amidst changing climatic and human pressures.
Date Issued
2025-04-01
Date Acceptance
2025-01-15
Citation
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, 212
ISSN
1364-0321
Publisher
Elsevier
Journal / Book Title
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Volume
212
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Publication Status
Published
Article Number
115378
Date Publish Online
2025-01-23