Aquaporin blog, news and podcast

Andreas Herfelt and Ulrik Hansen Folkmann, two of Denmark’s newly appointed water ambassadors, give an insight into their unusual jobs and the missions they are on in, respectively, Rome in Italy and Chicago in the US. According to both of them, Denmark is a leading country in water innovation, and their purpose is to draw attention to how Denmark can lead the way in support of the environment and the Danish export strategy for water.

Both Rome and Chicago experience major water loss, and the cities’ water consumption lies way above average. Spotlighting the importance of water, the most valuable resource on Earth, Herfelt and Folkmann seek business opportunities and facilitate contact between Danish and local companies to scale Denmark’s export of water solutions and technologies.

On a global scale, 282 million people walk in search of water every single day. Africa is one of the most water-stressed regions in the world. On the continent, 483 million people lack sanitation, and 3 in 10 do not have access to basic drinking water services. Innovative initiatives are taken to solve the various water challenges facing African countries, and in this episode, some of the solutions are introduced by SafeWater Senior Director Pia Yasuko Rask and Tity Simbo Kamara, Project Manager, Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone.

Rask stresses that water is at the heart of sustainable development and that improving global access to clean water can truly transform the world. Giving examples of SafeWater’s projects, activities, and partnerships in Africa, she underlines that the ultimate goal is for all of us to have access to safe water in our homes.

Kamara gives an insight into the case of Sierra Leone where 1 in 3 does not have access to safe water. She points out that to change this, Social Enterprise Development Sierra Leone works closely together with local communities and mobilizes them to invest in their own water infrastructure to ensure long-term water security and thereby improve livelihoods.

Explore Singapore’s water dilemma and solutions together with Aquaporin Asia Deputy Manager Guofei Sun and Shane Allen Snyder, Professor & Executive Director of Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute, part of Nanyang Technological University. Singapore is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, a place where water is a matter of national security, as the island state doesn’t have access to natural water resources. Therefore, Singapore has to find alternative methods to provide its more than 5 million residents with clean water.

Snyder introduces Singapore’s four national water taps, highlights some of the innovative solutions the island state has developed to solve local water challenges, and points out how other countries can learn from the way Singapore has managed to turn their vulnerability into a strength.

Sun gives an insight into Aquaporin Asia’s focus areas and how they are contributing to making Singapore a model city for integrated water management, especially when it comes to reducing the energy consumption of water treatment.

Sustainability Scientist Kimberly Nicholas and Aquaporin CEO Matt Boczkowski explore the concept of cathedral thinking which at its core is to innovate and develop solutions for the sake of future generations.

Nicholas emphasizes that climate stabilization is our generation’s cathedral to build and how critical this moment and our ability to rethink what is humanly possible are to solve climate change.

Boczkowski highlights the many parallels there are between water and climate, as he uncovers how Aquaporin started with the notion of cathedral thinking which is now the driver of the company’s culture and long-term goals.

Marianna Lubanski explains how to succeed in developing an innovation district, and why public-private partnerships are so important.

Peter Holme Jensen describes how open innovation has been a cornerstone of Aquaporin from the very beginning and a way to integrate circular thinking through the initiatives Aquaporin Academy, Aquaporin Garage, and Primer.