Life’s most precious resource needs urgent attention
Undoubtedly, water is life’s most precious resource. Covering more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface, it surrounds and affects all, maintaining the essential functions of living—the growth of plants, the production of food, the continued health of ecosystems and economies. And yet, pollution from human activities, droughts and floods caused by climate change, and the impact of forever plastics have degraded oceans, rivers and water systems around the world. Recognising the urgent need to protect water, the Earth advocates on Asia’s Most Influential list are working to secure its integrity. Through their companies and organisations, these leaders bring focus to threats such as the melting of glaciers, clean up rivers to maintain water sources, or grow corals to return balance to the ocean ecosystem. With their help—and your participation—we can look forward to a tomorrow where life-giving water is available for all.
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Malcolm Wood, co-founder, Maximal Concepts (Hong Kong)
Beyond his triumphs in the dining world, as co-founder of hospitality group Maximal Concepts (Mott 32, The Aubrey), and exploits as an extreme athlete (he was paragliding at Meraslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world, recently), Malcolm Wood is also an environmental advocate who highlights critical issues and seeks to solve them. Through his involvement in the films, A Plastic Ocean (2016) and The Last Glaciers (2022), the Earth warrior calls on the world to protect the planet’s most precious resource: water.
The Last Glaciers, which features Woods himself, presents the dramatic changes in the world’s glacial ranges, which if not remedied will deplete a major source of freshwater for billions. Meanwhile, the multi-awarded documentary A Plastic Ocean, which has over 100 million views in over 90 countries, exposes the “alarming truths about the consequences of our disposable lifestyle”: how plastic breaks down into free-floating microplastics, which then disrupts both marine ecosystems and also human health.
Adding to his environmental work, Wood is a board member of Plastic Oceans International and other environmental organisations. He also co-founded Meru Projects, which gives grants to charities, NGOs and research work “that will create a better and greener environment”.
