Latin America is experiencing a water crisis. Here are 3 solutions helping to tackle itLatin America is suffering the effects of a three-year dr...

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Latin America is experiencing a water crisis. Here are 3 solutions helping to tackle itLatin America is suffering the effects of a three-year dr...
Latin America is experiencing a water crisis. Here are 3 solutions helping to tackle it
Latin America is suffering the effects of a three-year drought that’s had a devastating impact on humans, livestock and crops.
In Uruguay’s capital, tap water is now deemed undrinkable because the freshwater reservoirs have run dry.
Here are three World Economic Forum Uplink companies that can help to maintain water safety in the most vulnerable areas.
Imagine turning on your tap to get a refreshing glass of water, only to find that it tastes really salty. This is the unfortunate reality for many citizens of Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, as they come to terms with a climate change-induced water crisis.

Montevideo’s tap water is now basically undrinkable, Carlos Santos, a member of the National Commission for the Defense of Water and Life and a lecturer in anthropology at the University of the Republic in Uruguay, told CNN. “Even pets avoid it.”

Since May, the public water utility, OSE, has been mixing salty water from the Río de la Plata estuary with fresh water from the Paso Severino reservoir to stretch supplies, after applying for an exemption to normal rules on salinity in drinking water.

Men buy water can at a supermarket, amid a historic drought that has left reservoirs dry and Montevideo with only days worth of water, sparking protests and forcing the government to subsidize bottled water, in Montevideo, Uruguay
Residents of Montevideo queue to buy bottled water, as their tap water is too salty. Image: REUTERS/Mariana Greif
This is just one example of the devastating impact a three-year drought is having on Central South America as La Niña, the formidable weather pattern, tightens its grip on the region. Water scarcity has hit the region since 2019, with rivers and freshwater reservoirs drying up, meaning no access to water for crops and livestock.

Last year was Argentina’s driest for 60 years, halving its annual harvests in wheat and soy, which in turn is expected to lead to export deficits of 25-50%, exacerbating an economic downturn and soaring inflation rates.

Even though rain in July has brought some short-term relief to the region, the climate crisis means additional help is needed.

Here are three companies from Uplink, the World Economic Forum’s innovation platform, that offer solutions to improve water security in the developing world.

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