Water is no longer merely an environmental resource; it's also a strategic economic variable. By 2050, water scarcity is projected to result in a 10% decrease in global GDP, with low- and middle-income countries experiencing the highest rates of 19%, according to a study conducted by the UN Global Compact Network Italy. The impact on Italy is already dramatic: the water crisis costs €13.4 billion per year—double the European average—and threatens a €384 billion water-dependent industry, accounting for one-fifth of the country's value added.
In the Mediterranean basin, the epicenter of the crisis, the data illustrate a particularly dire scenario, with temperatures increasing at a rate of 20% faster than the global average and water shortages that are 12 times greater. This is home to 60% of the world's "water-poor" people. In Italy, 56.4% of firms work in locations with severe water stress, but only one in every three recognizes the risk to their business continuity. The situation is complicated by tight competition between sectors. While agriculture accounts for the majority of withdrawals (50% in Italy and up to 87% in Turkey), the energy and digital transformation will exacerbate the situation: data centers, semiconductors, and hydrogen will require 2.6 times more water by 2030. This escalation of tensions has already resulted in a significant increase in water-related conflicts, which have increased from 24 to 420 worldwide since 2000.