secretary general and executive director of UNEP. Despite the staggering statistics included in the report, it "also points to the abundant Green Economy opportunities for turning a mounting challenge into an opportunity with multiple benefits," Steiner said, citing reduced fertilizer costs, incentives for conserving such ecological infrastructures as wetlands and salt marshes, and business opportunities in engineering and natural resource management. The report acknowledges that such opportunities will require large-scale investments, such as multimillion dollar sewage treatment plants. "Financing and investment are urgently needed and must address design, ecosystem restoration construction, operation and maintenance of wastewater infrastructure," the report says. But it also offers up simpler solutions, such as education "to ensure water, nutrients and future opportunities for employment and development are not wasted."
