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Water scarcity challenges to business

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The growing scarcity of freshwater due to rising water demands and a changing climate is increasingly seen as a major risk for the global economy. Consumer awareness, private sector initiatives, governmental regulation and targeted investments are urgently needed to move towards sustainable water use.

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Figure 1: Virtual water balance per country and largest virtual water flows related to international trade.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arjen Y. Hoekstra is at the Twente Water Centre, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands,

    Arjen Y. Hoekstra

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  1. Arjen Y. Hoekstra
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Correspondence to Arjen Y. Hoekstra.

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Hoekstra, A. Water scarcity challenges to business. Nature Clim Change 4, 318–320 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2214

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