The 7th World Water Forum... currently underway in Korea′s southern cities of Daegu and Gyeongju... aims to find better ways to tackle water shortage problems. But for businesses in the water industry，... it also offers lucrative opportunities in the global water market. Kwon Soa reports. Trying to find solutions on how to provide the entire world with the water it needs，... is the main reason participants have gathered at the World Water Forum. But for some... it′s more about how to make money out of water. ″It′s being called the ′blue－gold′ industry a market on the rise as water shortages become a global issue. And Korea aims to further its position in the industry， by expanding its water management technology and sharing its know－how with the world.″ By 2025， the global water market is expected to almost double from what it was worth in 2010. Korea′s water market is also on a steady growth path it′s forecast to be worth 10－point－6 billion dollars in three years. One big contributor to the local industry is the state－run Korea Water Resources Corporation... which has been promoting its methods of preserving and distributing safe and clean water. ″We are introducing a new paradigm called the Smart Water Management Initiative that aims to utilize ICT in each of our management stages... from the raw water source to our faucets.″ K－Water has also proven its competitiveness abroad with projects in more than 20 countries. At the World Water Forum it signed a contract with France－based water giant Suez Environment. And it′s not the only Korean player in global water treatment. ″Doosan is the biggest manufacturer of desalination plants in the world， and what desalination plants do is they create fresh water from ocean water. So， this helps alleviate regions that don′t have enough water， such as Saudi Arabia.″ The Middle East is one of the regions that′s seeking more partnerships with Korea in the fight against water shortages. ″We have a very good relationship with Korea and the President visited us two times in the country， and we have a lot in common in terms of different applications， satellite and nuclear. So we think the cloud seeding could also be another subject that we could benefit with Korea and share the experience.″ Water shortage issues are not just a problem for developing countries anymore.... Experts say the blue gold industry in the 21st century could become larger than the black gold industry in the 20th century. Kwon Soa， Arirang News.

• published: 15 Apr 2015
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