What happens if we run out of the element that enables life? Already today, 2/3 of the world population faces water shortages. Through our food, products and energy, our water footprint stretches out further than we might realize. With water as a human right, it remains difficult to put a value and ownership on it. This century will be about technological advances to get access to more water out of unconventional sources, to re-use water and to increase efficiency. Through different examples of water challenges worldwide, we get a glimpse of the multi-stakeholder management our most precious resources. Will it be possible to move from scarcity to abundance?

Keynote topics

1. The Future of Water: water scarcity, the price of water, political matters, effect on society, GGC’s
2. Surfing the Wave of Innovation: how to start a sustainable tech-company, entrepreneurship, from passion to drive, making global impact.

Biography

Sid Vollebregt is a water enthusiast (surfer) & cleantech specialist (sustainable energy & water treatment engineer) on a mission to move humanity from water scarcity to abundance. He developed sustainable desalination technology and is the co-founder & CEO of Elemental Water Makers. They enable fossil-free water from the sea using the sun, active in 25 water-scarce countries. To ensure rural communities in developing countries are not left behind, he founded and chairs the non-profit organization Elemental Water Foundation. He received a Global Water Award of the Emir of Dubai and mentioned as Top-50 Entrepreneur by the Dutch Financial Times in 2018.