“The wars of the next century will be fought over water – unless we change our approach to managing this precious and vital resource” warns Ismail Serageldin, director of Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

Currently one in nine people on the planet lack access to safe drinking water. If we continue to drain our most precious resource, Serageldin’s warning is dangerously close to coming true. Climate change and increasing demand from a growing global population are two of the biggest pressures on water resources. Improware is a pilot project that is recharging depleted aquifers by injecting treated wastewater – meaning the quality of the water is improved and water availability for the surrounding communities is increased.

In this first phase it is focusing specifically on Egypt and Tunisia, where coastal aquifers face contamination from salt water as a result of over pumping, desertification and a changing climate. Following the pilot, Improware aims to use its findings to promote global, environmentally friendly, sustainable water conservation methodologies in other areas where the natural aquifers have been contaminated.

Claire is London-residing British-South African actress and freelance writer for the Huffington Post and Ideas Tap magazine.