“As the world population increases, so does the demand for clean water. Global water consumption has increased nearly twice as fast as population growth in recent years. United Nations projections place global population growth at 30% by 2030, and as demand continues to grow accordingly, some projections place the water industry at a trillion-dollar market cap as early as 202o,” Morningstar ETF analysts write in a profile of PowerShares Water Resources.
“Water withdrawals are nearly three times higher today than they were 50 years ago. The lion’s share of that demand has come from agricultural irrigation, a demand driver that only looks to grow with the population,” they said. “Such trends would seem to make investment in the water space enticing, but implementation has proved difficult.”
PowerShares Water Resources Portfolio
For more information on water, visit our water category.
- PowerShares Water Resources Portfolio (NYSEArca: PHO)
- PowerShares Global Water Portfolio ETF (NYSEArca: PIO)
- Guggenheim S&P Global Water Index (NYSEArca: CGW)
- First Trust ISE Water Index Fund (NYSEArca: FIW)
Max Chen contributed to this article.