Africa and Asia have many things in common. They consist primarily of developing economies that are working to grow while providing services for their people. Both regions have many people: While Africa has a growing population of 1.3 billion, East Asia is home to more than 1.6 billion people.
Both African and Asian nations are experiencing rapid population growth, especially Asian countries in the South and South-West. Urban expansion is one consequence of this economic and population growth, and like in Africa, many Asian cities are experiencing tremendous urbanisation pressures.
It’s not a surprise that water resources in both regions are under immense and constant pressure. In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 63% of urban areas lack access to basic water and sanitation. Asian nations will experience a 40% shortfall between water supply and demand by 2030.
Global Solutions for Local Problems
African and Asian nations often wrestle with similar water challenges. Ideas and solutions that work in one region could be adapted to address water issues in the other.
“Water challenges are often similar in different parts of the world, especially where there are social and development similarities,” says Chetan Mistry, Strategy & Marketing Manager at water solutions provider Xylem Africa. “One benefit of being a global company is that we can see these overlaps while still appreciating the local differences. By sharing ideas and use cases, different regions don’t have to reinvent the wheel to manage their water issues. There’s more benefit in learning from each other than trying to solve everything on our own.”
A stream of new innovations is delivering impactful, efficient, and value-driven water solutions. From energy-efficient and low-maintenance pumps to big data water analysis and planning, today’s water providers have the tools to tackle pressures such as urbanisation, population growth, and climate change.
Here are real-world case studies of how Asian countries are using innovation to address their water challenges:
Ozone wastewater treatment in Vietnam
Residents and businesses in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City depend on local rivers to supply clean water for domestic and industrial uses. Yet, these rivers are exposed to pollution from the same urban areas, creating a tough problem for local water suppliers. The Saigon Water Corporation expanded one of its major water treatment plants to supply 300,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day, serving 1.5 million inhabitants. As part of this expansion, the site added Vietnam’s first major ozone treatment system for a reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable treatment method to reduce reliance on chlorine and traditional filtration. The oxidation destroys pollutants, coloured substances, odours, and microorganisms while avoiding chemical by-products or significant residues.
Realtime water monitoring in Thailand
Thailand is synonymous with large rivers that not only supply it with water but also act as commerce highways and growth engines. But as the country modernised, river pollution spiked drastically. At one point, only 45% of wastewater dumped into the Pa Sak River had been treated, leading to several environmental and healthcare disasters. The Ministry of Interior launched a project with local groups to tackle river pollution, starting with accurate measurements. The project installed a network of buoys and land bases with smart sensors that captured vital information informing water strategies, placing the sites near Buddhist temples that enlisted locals to help look after the equipment. Using this data, the state created policies that radically lowered the river’s pollution.
Digital Water Transformation in China
21% of the world’s population lives in China, yet the country only has access to 6% of the planet’s fresh water. This imbalance puts significant strain on Chinese growth and the welfare of its citizens. Local water suppliers need better visibility to balance between demand and supply. They are actively embracing digital water systems, using data from water systems to improve their planning and responses—part of the government’s Digital China 2035 plan to accelerate digital modernisation in key industries such as water. One example of this strategy is at the Beijing Drainage Group, which used the data to implement a suite of advanced control systems for aeration, chemical dosing, and drainage, achieving annual energy savings of 10 to 15 percent.
Developing nations have the opportunity to leapfrog ahead and reap the benefits of modern innovation, instead of following the lengthy and complex path that developed nations have taken to improve their prospects.
Asia’s growing economies are proof of this trend, and African nations are also starting to adopt proven modern water solutions to create growth while protecting their water resources. These successes can support each other—Africa and Asia have much in common, including how to solve water for everyone.
