gnificantly accelerate the widespread adoption of electric cars. INFRASTRUCTURE TO 2030: TELECOM, LAND TRANSPORT, WATER AND ELECTRICITY - ISBN 92-64-02398-4 © OECD 2006 1. A CROSS-SECTORAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURES TO 2030 Technology seems to be least important for land transport. Stamford does not anticipate breakthrough technologies over the 2000-30 period that could fundamentally affect land transport demand. High-speed rail (and Maglev) technology is already around and tried. Improved vehicle technology (e.g. fuel efficiency, fuel technology) and vehicle design can offer substantial environmental benefits but should not affect the demand for road infrastructure. And ICT-inspired improvements in road capacity utilisation will probably only operate at the margin of incremental demand, although other studies do suggest a greater influence over the longer term. By contrast, technology could play a key role in the development of water infrastructure in the future. First, advances in information technology and communications coupled with space technologies such as Earth observation could lead to a much greater ability to monitor all aspects associated with water-related service provision - the circumstances and the events surrounding it - in greater detail and to a greater extent than is currently technically possible. Second, biotechnology could significantly improve pollution prevention, monitoring and remediation. It has the potential to completely revolutionise water treatment processes and may well enable service providers to dispense with conventional treatment plants as they are known today. Much of the treatment would not require a large capital investment for the provision of large fixed infrastructure, as this would be replaced by in-system and on-site processes, tailored to specific circumstances and requirements. It could even lead to the elimination of the distinction between water distribution and sewage systems as it becomes possible to combine them without impacting on