FROM EIR DAILY ALERT

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Giant Backlog in Global Infrastructure Development: Transport, Electricity, Water

Sept. 5, 2018 (EIRNS)—The investment special broadcast yesterday by ARD, Germany’s national first television network, shed light on the giant underdevelopment of infrastructure globally. At the moment, and certainly for some time, China is the only really major investor, with its New Silk Road strategy, the special observed.

According to OECD figures, investments in the range of $71 trillion are required globally by 2030. Dirk Rogowski, manager of Veritas Investment, which has created a special infrastructure fund, sees the need for $94 trillion by 2040—of which in his view $15 trillion are not yet covered. Nearly half of that sum will have to go into transport infrastructure—already now 31.7 million km of road globally require maintenance. “That is 40 times the distance between Earth and Moon and back,” Rogowski said.

In terms of energy, the United Nations states that still some 1.1 billion humans have no access to electricity, and global demand will increase by 40% in the next two decades. Water supply is another area, where giant investments are required—estimated to cost $7.5 trillion by 2030—and the UN states that currently some 663 million humans have no access to fresh water.