Mission

AB AQUA - think tank di idrostrategia was established to raise public awareness on the crucial role that water will play in many sectors from now on to the next decades. At this historical juncture, we are faced with a series of events that will contribute to making the supply and control of water resources increasingly indispensable for states and peoples.

Fresh water reserves are slowly being depleted, pollution is threatening essential water sources for millions of people, climate change is raising sea levels and altering borders, and explosive population growth in some areas of the globe is straining natural resources (including water).

As a result, water is rapidly becoming a central part of international relations. Essentially, it is no longer “just” a natural element essential to human life; on the contrary, water has now become a critical strategic asset. The so-called “blue gold” plays a fundamental role in shaping international politics, like other precious commodities such as diamonds, oil, and gold.

In the coming years, the rapid mass urbanization of the world's population will only exponentially increase the demand for water to meet the natural, economic and industrial needs of a growing multitude of people. In terms of tangible data, the demand for water is expected to increase by 60% between 2030 and 2050.

In light of these predictions, Hydro Strategy and its ramifications on the political, economic and financial sectors, will be extremely relevant in the coming years. The study of this subject requires a multi-scale analysis, which employs different academic-scientific disciplines: economics, finance, sociology, international law, geopolitics, history of international relations and public health.

All these elements combined must be taken into serious consideration to support the next generations in addressing issues related to water and water conflicts. New challenges are looming on the horizon: tensions between states for the control of resources are already a dangerous reality in several parts of the world, as well as nationalist strategies implemented by various countries aimed at acquiring water resources at the expense of neighboring peoples.

Hydro Strategy is progressively emerging as an indispensable scientific discipline, finding its space driven by the growing economic and environmental costs of developing new energy supplies, the intensification of conflicts between new and old actors, and the growing importance of water quality for basic human needs.