6.
Conclusion
The importance of water as a life-sustaining resource
is undeniable. Yet while demand for water resources
is unlimited, supply is limited. As increasing per capita
water consumption, pollution and unstable weather
patterns continue to strain our limited water resources,
the need to guarantee access to sufficient quantities
of clean and safe water to an ever growing population
becomes even more pressing. Given the secular nature
of these challenges, demand for innovative solutions
that enable the more efficient use of available water
resources or enhance the quality of drinking water
will continue to grow. As a result, the water market is
expected to grow by 1-2 percentage points above GDP
growth, reaching USD 1 trillion by 2025.
The water market is expected to grow by
1-2 percentage points above GDP growth,
reaching USD 1 trillion by 2025.
Investment opportunities abound
Those companies that recognize the growing need for
sustainable solutions as an opportunity and respond
by offering innovative solutions that address the chal-
lenges related to scarcity, quality and allocation of water
are well positioned to profit in the long run.
Many of these solutions already exist, and investors with
a long-term horizon can find numerous attractive invest-
ment opportunities along the water value chain: micro-
irrigation, smart metering and water-saving domestic
appliances help reduce excessive water consumption,
while micro and ultrafiltration, desalination, and ultra-
violet disinfection are just a few examples of how different
water treatment technologies can help us tap into new
sources of water.
Water investing requires a deep understanding of the
latest technical advances and industry solutions as well
as the political and regulatory developments and deci-
sions affecting the water sector. New environmental
standards, tougher demands on water quality, more
public spending on infrastructure construction and main-
tenance, as well as the fixing of water tariffs, all have a
significant impact on the growth of individual segments
of the water market and, consequently, on the attractive-
ness of companies doing business in these segments.
RobecoSAM has a long-history of successfully investing
in solution providers to our water challenges, and pos-
sesses the in-house expertise to required identify most
attractive companies within the Utilities, Capital Goods
& Chemicals, Construction & Materials, and Quality &
Analytics investment clusters.
RobecoSAM Water: the market of the future 39