Stockholm Water Front no 3-4, 2018
Water and health will be an increasingly important topic in coming years, for several reasons. Climate change is expected to trigger the spread of many waterborne diseases around the world. Population growth will make the issue of access to clean water and sanitation even more pressing. On top of that comes a health crisis that could emerge as the result of growing antimicrobial resistance.
All these challenges are addressed in this issue of WaterFront, focused on water, health and climate change. On page 14 we meet Professor Rita Colwell, who pioneered the study of water-borne diseases and climate but feels there’s an urgent need for intensified research.
There are also some encouraging signs, with philanthropist Bill Gates predicting a sanitation revolution. WaterFront visits Durban in South Africa where 85,000 waterless toilets are installed. Read more on page 10.
Water and health will be an increasingly important topic in coming years, for several reasons. Climate change is expected to trigger the spread of many waterborne diseases around the world. Population growth will make the issue of access to clean water and sanitation even more pressing. On top of that comes a health crisis that could emerge as the result of growing antimicrobial resistance.
The role of pharmaceutical production in the spread of antimicrobial resistance was long overlooked but has now moved to become a top issue at the international agenda. To learn more, turn to page 4, and for an op-ed on the topic, see what Nicolai Schaaf has to say on page 23.
In addition, we analyze two topics related to climate change. On page 18, John Joyce sheds light on the debate around this year’s recipients of the economics Nobel, while on page 20, Maggie White describes the fascinating but poorly understood interlinkages between water and climate change.
Enjoy the read!
