Someone has to pay

Kristof Bulkai and Hugo Rogers of Thames River Capital on why investment in water is set to rise significantly.

In the middle of the 18th century Benjamin Franklin wrote: “When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” This statement incorporates a scientific fact, a puzzling piece of human history and two basic economic principles. It is a scientific fact life cannot exist without water. Given its importance, it is puzzling that in recent history few people have asked how much water is left in the well before hitting the bottom. In terms of economics, Franklin illustrates the law of diminishing returns. Over time, for a finite resource, increasing capital and labour are required to extract th...