WATER covers over two-thirds of the earth’s surface, but only a tiny fraction of fresh water is readily available for use. Recent reports indicate a looming crisis. By 2030, global demand for fresh water is expected to surpass supply by 40 per cent. As a result, billions of people are living without safely managed water and sanitation. It is estimated that 700 million people could be displaced by water scarcity by 2030. What is causing this imbalance between water supply and demand? Climate change, urbanisation, ageing infrastructure and pollution are among the many factors at play. Increasingly, innovative technology also contributes to this challenge. Driving demand, impacting water Semiconductors, crucial to the modern economy, drive investment in water. From cloud computing to automotive systems, their role is indispensable. With investment in semiconductor fabrication plants soaring to meet growing demand, here is a lesser-known fact: Semiconductor manufacturing is highly water-
WHEN investors talk about “zombie” companies, they’re usually referring to distressed startups that are hobbling along, unable to grow and unlikely to ever return the money they’ve raised. But as deal-makers feverishly debated efforts this past week by lawmakers to force TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app, they talked about a new version: China zombies. China zombies may have booming businesses, but they’re unlikely to provide investors with any immediate return because they’re stuck in geopolitical crosshairs. It’s not just the investors in ByteDance who, after handing it more than US$8 billion, are stuck. What looked like a mammoth growth opportunity just a few years ago – inspiring investors to pour money into companies such as Ant Financial, PingPong and Geekplus – has turned hostile. “There’s more out there like ByteDance,” Evan Chuck, a partner at the advisory firm Crowell, said of companies with investors who may find themselves in this position. “It’s