In the “Water and Civilization” series so far, we have viewed water as the foundation of civilization and explored the shift from a “transportation-based civilization” to a “circulating civilization,” as well as the potential for technological innovation through quantum science, AI, and new materials. However, will technological progress alone be enough to solve our water problems？

The question I’d like to explore here is, “Who owns that water?” In future civilizations, our very values regarding water may need to change.

◾️Conflicts Arising from Water Shortages

Water is essential to life, but it is not distributed evenly across the globe. In some regions, securing a stable water supply is difficult due to climate change, population growth, and urbanization. Furthermore, in rivers that flow through multiple countries or regions, conflicts of interest can arise over water use between upstream and downstream areas.

Against this backdrop, the term “water wars” has emerged. However, water is not merely a source of conflict. When countries and regions that share the same water sources cooperate in managing them, water can also serve as a force that brings people together.

◾️Is Water a “Commodity”？

Supplying safe water—through systems such as water supply, water purification, seawater desalination, and wastewater treatment—requires advanced technology and significant costs. For this reason, technological innovation in the water industry and by private companies is also a key force in solving the world’s water problems.

On the other hand, should “water itself”—which is essential to life—be viewed merely as a commodity? In future civilizations, while recognizing the economic value of water, we must simultaneously consider its value as a shared foundation that sustains all life.

◾️From “Water We Own” to “Water We Share”

Water in nature does not remain in one place. It falls as rain, flows down mountains, runs through rivers, returns to the ocean, and eventually returns to the sky. Water circulates throughout the entire Earth.

That is precisely why it is important to view water not merely as a “resource that someone owns and uses up,” but as the foundation of life that society as a whole must protect, keep circulating, and pass on to future generations.

Of course, “sharing” does not mean making all water free, nor does it mean eliminating ownership or water rights. It means sharing both the right to use water and the responsibility to protect it. The focus shifts from “Whose water is it?” to “How do we pass this water on to the future？”

This represents a major shift in our view of civilization.

◾️From SEATOPIA to the World

Project Seatopia will share more than just water itself. It will connect the research findings, water treatment technologies, and demonstration data generated on board the ship—along with the knowledge needed to recycle water—to island and coastal regions, as well as other areas around the world facing water challenges.

Share water.

Share technology.

Share knowledge.

Share the future.

As a “global platform for water knowledge,” SEATOPIA delivers the wisdom born in one place across the seas to regions where it is needed.

◾️Future Civilizations: From “Ownership” to “Sharing”

Civilizations to date have developed through the “ownership” of land and resources. However, water circulates around the Earth, crosses borders, and connects all life.

The question for future civilizations is not “Who owns water？” but “How do we protect water, keep it circulating, and pass it on to the next generation?”

From water scarcity to the water cycle.

From competition to cooperation.

And from “ownership” to “sharing.”

When our mindset toward water changes, civilization itself begins to change. From a civilization that “possesses” water to one that “protects, circulates, and shares” it. Is this not the new future that the Ocean Civilization aims for？