Standards key to addressing water scarcity and mitigating pressures of an ageing population, hears ISO annual meeting

Standards key to addressing water scarcity and mitigating pressures of an ageing population, hears ISO annual meeting

Abu Dhabi, UAE:– Globally aligned standards will be crucial in helping societies to tackle the rapidly increasing severity of water scarcity, as well as challenges associated with an ageing population. That is according to global experts in the field of standardization speaking at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Annual Meeting 2022 in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Hosted by the UAE’s Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), the ISO Annual Meeting 2022 is convening more than 5,000 delegates, physically and virtually, from 19-23 September.

During a panel session titled ‘Innovative solutions for water scarcity’, representatives from leading standards organizations heard how almost two-thirds of the world’s population experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year, and over two billion people live in countries where water supply is inadequate.

The session explored how innovative water technologies, supported by international standards, can help address water scarcity, especially in developing countries.

In a virtual session titled ‘Addressing sustainability challenges arising from the demographic transition’, participants heard how by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over the age of 65, leading to implications for healthcare, workforces, and social environments. Panelists debated the challenges and opportunities of an ageing population from