| Forum Stories | | Your weekly curated analysis of the top global issues |
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Welcome to Forum Stories!- In the spotlight this week: It’s World Water Day on 22 March. New insights reveal what it would take to achieve water security.
- We’re also looking at the power of innovation to address the biggest challenges and how health coverage can be provided for all.
This week’s newsletter is 691 words, a 3-minute read. |
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| Feel free to forward the Forum Stories newsletter to a friend or colleague. Our editorial team hand-picks the most relevant stories for you every week. You can also read today’s edition in your browser. |
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| 1. Spotlight: Pathways to a water-resilient future |  | This year’s World Water Day theme, Glacier Preservation, highlights the urgent need to protect glaciers, as their rapid melting threatens water security, ecosystems and livelihoods. Only 0.5% of water on Earth is useable and available freshwater – and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply. So what can be done to improve water security?- From diverse financing to adaptive governance, a new Forum report outlines five actionable pathways to enhance water systems.
- Nature could hold the key to repairing our broken relationship with water. Nature-based solutions are proven to deliver cost-effective, measurable and sustainable benefits to drive water resilience for people and natures.
- Public-private collaboration is no longer optional; it is the missing piece that makes large-scale water security possible.
- Investors are helping to drive capital towards key technologies for building water resilience. However, the sector can be challenging to navigate. Check out this Forum guide for investors who are new to water investing, highlighting key opportunities and steps.
The stats around freshwater speak for themselves:- Over two billion people still live without safely managed drinking water.
- Three in ten schools globally don’t have a basic water service.
- At the current rate, the world won’t achieve sustainable water management until 2049.
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| 2. Innovations for big challenges | | The Forum’s early-stage innovation initiative – UpLink – reveals the power of entrepreneurship to solve the world’s biggest challenges. UpLink’s Annual Impact Report 2025 shows that in 2024, UpLink innovators collectively raised $633 million in investment capital, demonstrating the increasing demand for breakthrough solutions.Zoom in:- The internet era has exposed structural weaknesses in Japanese innovation. Here’s how the nation can regain global standing as a tech leader.
- This start-up lets communities and businesses grow their own mini-farms. By providing access to their indoor vertical farms they are improving food security, tackling food waste and boosting nutrition.
- AI and satellite technology are helping to reduce road traffic risks. Here’s why the future of transportation depends on these innovations.
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| 3. Tackling inequities in healthcare | | Some 4.5 billion people still lack sufficient healthcare coverage. Efforts to achieve universal health coverage have “largely stalled” according to the World Bank. So what steps can the world take to ensure healthcare is for everyone?Climate change doesn’t help: People suffering the brunt of climate-related illnesses are those in less economically developed regions lacking the resources to recover from climate-related disasters.
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