Freshwater demand to outstrip supply by 2030, says ITP

The International Tourism Partnership (ITP) warns that by 2030 demand for freshwater may outstrip supply by 40%.

In its latest report on water risk issues, the ITP highlights a range of potential impacts the industry could suffer due to shifts in the availability and quality of water resources and points out potential areas where additional costs can be expected.

In particular the report highlights risks for key development areas for the hotel industry, ie Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Shanghai, Dubai and India’s Golden Triangle. In Dubai, for example, excessive consumption of groundwater and increasing pressure on desalination facilities could lead to severe water shortages in the near future.

Fran Hughes, head of programmes at ITP, commented: “Whilst there is a lot of information available to hoteliers about water efficiency, what has been lacking are clear facts on water issues in specific areas. As such, it is sometimes hard to build the case for investment and action. We hope the findings of this report will help hoteliers to understand the local context where they operate and develop appropriate water management strategies.”

The report can be downloaded here.