Column by Hein Molenkamp

The future of our water

Until recently, looking at our planet from space has been a luxury reserved for a select few. These days, anyone with sufficient net worth can book the experience. I heard a few lectures by the Dutch astronaut André Kuipers; he explained how amazing it is to see our blue Mother Earth floating in space—and how vulnerable it is. The noise and hassle of everyday life seem so far away.

And yet, paying a few hundred thousand dollars to experience that is, in a way, escapism. There is no denying that the earth and all the organisms on it have a lot to deal with; there is a lot of ‘hassle’. Wars have been around since the dawn of man. The footprint humans have left behind over thousands of years is impressive, to say the least, and climate change has taught us that not all of it is positive.

I’m an optimist by trade, so I like to hold on to all the innovations being worked on all over the world— innovations that make the world a better place. My work for the Water Alliance has put me in the fortunate position of being able to experience many of these wonderful innovations first-hand. This edition of WaterProof provides a hint of that innovation on numerous pages. Cees Buisman of Wetsus, for example, offers wonderful insight into his fascinating mind and how he thinks out of the box every day—possibly one of the most important conditions for innovation. This edition also features innovative companies, each of them entrepreneurs who are passionate about making the world a better place. I love that these people believe in innovation and know that their work can make the earth a little better. That takes hard work—every day.

For the fortunate multimillionaire who will soon be looking down at Mother Earth from space, I would like to say: enjoy the tranquil and unique view, but be aware that others down here are working very hard to give this planet a future.

Hein Molenkamp Managing Director, Water Alliance