As billions lack safe water, a booming global industry and AI-driven demand are turning a basic human necessity into one of the world’s fastest-growing commodities.
By Dipankar Dey.
The United Nations ‘World Water Development Report 2026: Water for All People – Equal Rights and Opportunities’, highlights how unequal access to water and sanitation services impacts health, education, livelihoods and safety. Today, 2.1 billion people still lack safely managed drinking water, and women and girls spend an estimated 250 million hours every day collecting water. Unfortunately, privately owned global water utility corporations now control this vital natural resource- essential for the survival of the planet Earth.
Global water industry
Driven by increasing urbanisation, industrial use and the need for advanced water management solutions, the global water and wastewater treatment market size was valued at USD 372.39 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 400.32 billion in 2026 to USD 713.96 billion by 2034, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.50 per cent during the forecast period. (…)
One of the main reasons why so many developing countries decide to involve the private sector in water and other infrastructure is the influence and persuasiveness of international donors, like the World Bank, UNDP, WTO, IMF, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates Foundation, et al, that support such policies. Since the early 1990s, the Bank has adopted a strong position in favour of privatised water. This was promoted through policy reports, support for joint initiatives (such as the Global Water Partnership and World Water Council) with water multinationals, and through loan conditionalities or policy-based lending, observes Naren Prasad, UNRISD.
Thanks to the global corporations, water has become a fast-growing economic commodity over the last two centuries.
