Observed on March 22 each year, World Water Day is an initiative put in place by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness of ongoing sustainability issues around the globe.

This year, there was a strong focus on looking to the future as the UN predicts demand will outstrip supply of world water resources by 40 per cent in just 15 years.

There has already been a big global commitment to better water access – lead by the UN – which has provided over 2.3 billion people with improved sources such as piped supplies and protected wells across the last two decades.

Sustainability by 2050

However, sustainability is a real issue and one that is proving difficult to address in the long term. The UN has outlined its Vision 2050 plan which aims to make sufficient and safe water available to every person on the planet over the next 35 years.

That may sound simple – particularly over such a protracted timeline – but population growth, urbanisation and more reliance from industry on water is making the objective difficult to meet.

Water use in food production

In the UN’s World Water Development Report 2015 – which is published to accompany World Water Day each year – the intergovernmental organisation pinpoints food production as one sector that is currently sapping water supplies.

In Australia, the industry plays a huge role within the wider economy. The output of farms and fisheries adds a huge $40 billion of value alone, according to Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

While agricultural production thrives across the country – and demand for produce around the world increases – making the most of any precious resources to secure sustainability is crucial.

Using a water conditioner from Hydrosmart can help efforts to do just that. Not only does it keep waste down to an absolute minimum, the system also unlocks the bio-available nutrients from water making it perfect for supporting crop and livestock growth.