Corporate Water Stewardship: How Businesses Can Contribute to Global Water Security

Water security is one of the most pressing global challenges, with millions of people lacking access to clean water for basic needs. Beyond households, industries and agriculture also depend heavily on water, worsening the strain on available resources. Businesses, as significant water users, are uniquely positioned to influence water sustainability positively or negatively.  

Corporate water stewardship, a concept that extends beyond mere conservation, calls on businesses to manage their water use responsibly, ensuring the availability of clean water for communities, ecosystems, and future generations. By integrating water stewardship into their operations, businesses can address water-related challenges while building resilience and enhancing their reputations.  

Understanding Corporate Water Stewardship  

Corporate water stewardship involves the responsible use of water resources in a way that benefits both the environment and society. It emphasizes managing water as a shared resource, ensuring equitable access and sustainable use across sectors. For businesses, embracing water stewardship offers numerous benefits, including improved regulatory compliance, cost savings, stronger stakeholder relationships, and enhanced brand reputation.

Unlike traditional sustainability efforts, stewardship recognizes that businesses have a role in managing water throughout their supply chains and in the communities where they operate.  

Key principles of corporate water stewardship include:  

• Efficiency: Reducing water waste in production processes.  
• Collaboration: Partnering with governments, NGOs, and local communities.  
• Transparency: Reporting water usage and stewardship efforts.  

Assessing Water Risks in Business Operations  

Water risks for businesses are multi-dimensional, affecting operations, supply chains, and overall profitability. These risks can be categorized as:  

• Physical risks: Water scarcity, floods, and declining water quality.  
• Regulatory risks: Increasing government regulations around water use and discharge.  
• Reputational risks: Public backlash due to perceived overuse or pollution of local water resources.  

To address these risks, companies must conduct thorough water risk assessments. Tools like the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas and the Water Risk Filter enable businesses to evaluate their water-related vulnerabilities across regions. Identifying these risks allows companies to develop tailored strategies to mitigate their impact while ensuring water availability for surrounding communities.  

Strategies for Corporate Water Stewardship  

Corporate water stewardship involves implementing strategies to minimize water use, reduce waste, and protect water resources across operations and supply chains. Effective approaches include:  

• Water Efficiency in Operations: Businesses can invest in water-efficient technologies like closed-loop systems and smart meters to monitor and optimize water usage. For example, reducing water use in cooling systems or reusing treated wastewater can significantly cut consumption.  
• Circular Water Systems: Recycling and reusing water within industrial processes help minimize water withdrawals and discharge. Industries like textile manufacturing have successfully implemented these systems, reducing their environmental impact.  
• Green Infrastructure: Businesses can support the installation of green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable pavements to manage storm water and recharge groundwater.  

Partnering with Communities and NGOs  

Collaboration is central to effective water stewardship. Businesses can forge partnerships with local communities and NGOs to support initiatives that improve water access and management. Key actions include:  

• Building Local Water Infrastructure: Companies can fund or co-develop projects such as boreholes, water treatment plants, and storage facilities to ensure consistent water access.  
• Educational Campaigns: Businesses can support awareness campaigns that teach communities about water conservation, hygiene, and pollution prevention.  
• Shared Projects with NGOs: Partnering with organizations experienced in water management enables businesses to scale their impact. For instance, joint clean-up drives or watershed restoration projects can benefit both businesses and local residents.   

Promoting Water Stewardship in Supply Chains  

A company’s supply chain often accounts for the majority of its water footprint, making it critical to address water stewardship at every level. Businesses can:  

• Set Water Use Standards for Suppliers: Establishing guidelines for water usage, wastewater treatment, and pollution control helps suppliers align with sustainable practices.  
• Incentivize Sustainable Practices: Companies can reward suppliers that demonstrate effective water management through certifications, bonuses, or long-term contracts.  
• Capacity Building: Offering training and resources to suppliers helps them adopt water-efficient technologies and practices.  
• Collaborate on Regional Challenges: Businesses and their suppliers can work together to address shared water issues in the regions where they operate, such as tackling drought or contamination.  

Measuring and Reporting Water Stewardship Efforts  

To ensure accountability and transparency, businesses must measure and report their water stewardship initiatives. This not only showcases their commitment to sustainable practices but also helps track progress and identify areas for improvement. Key steps include:  

• Developing Metrics: Metrics such as water withdrawal, discharge, and recycling rates are essential for assessing the impact of water stewardship programs. Businesses can use frameworks like the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard to guide their measurement efforts.  
• Conducting Audits: Regular water audits help identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement within operations and supply chains.  
• Public Reporting: Transparent reporting through platforms like the CDP Water Security Questionnaire enables companies to share their efforts with stakeholders. Highlighting success stories and challenges fosters trust and encourages other businesses to adopt similar practices.  
• Engaging Stakeholders: Involving employees, local communities, and NGOs in the reporting process ensures inclusiveness and helps businesses better understand the broader impact of their water use.  

Challenges and Opportunities in Corporate Water Stewardship  

While corporate water stewardship offers numerous benefits, it is not without challenges. Businesses often face:  

• High Implementation Costs: Adopting water-efficient technologies or building green infrastructure can require significant upfront investments.  
• Complex Regulations: Navigating water-related regulations across different regions can be difficult, especially for multinational corporations.  
• Stakeholder Misalignment: Conflicting priorities among businesses, governments, and communities can hinder collaboration.  
• Data Gaps: Limited access to accurate water data can make it challenging to assess risks and design effective strategies.  

However, these challenges also present opportunities:  

• Innovative Technologies: Advancements in water treatment, recycling, and monitoring systems can help businesses reduce costs while improving efficiency.  
• Public-Private Partnerships: Collaborations with governments and NGOs can unlock resources and expertise for large-scale water projects.  
• Regulatory Incentives: Governments increasingly offer incentives, such as tax breaks or grants, for businesses adopting sustainable water practices.  
• Consumer Demand: Customers are increasingly favoring businesses that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, creating a competitive edge for water-conscious companies.  

By addressing these challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities, businesses can play a transformative role in achieving global water security.  

Technology-Driven Innovations in Water Stewardship  

Leveraging technology is key to advancing corporate water stewardship. Businesses can adopt innovative solutions to optimize water use and ensure sustainability. Examples of these innovative solutions are:

• Smart Water Monitoring Systems: Internet of things (IoT) enabled devices and sensors provide real-time data on water usage, leaks, and quality, enabling businesses to make data-driven decisions.  
• AI and Machine Learning: Advanced algorithms can analyze water usage patterns, predict future needs, and optimize resource allocation.  
• Desalination Technologies: For companies operating in water-scarce regions, desalination plants provide a reliable source of freshwater, though they require careful management to minimize environmental impacts.  
• Blockchain for Transparency: Blockchain technology ensures secure and transparent tracking of water-related transactions and activities, promoting accountability across supply chains.  

Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns  

Beyond implementing internal changes, businesses can use their influence to advocate for broader water stewardship efforts. Through advocacy and awareness, businesses can amplify their impact and inspire a collective commitment to sustainable water management.

Advocacy can involve:  

• Raising Public Awareness: Hosting campaigns to educate communities and consumers about water conservation and pollution prevention.  
• Supporting Policy Development: Engaging with governments to create and enforce stronger water management regulations.  
• Funding Research: Investing in research on sustainable water technologies and practices that can benefit industries and communities alike.  
• Empowering Employees: Encouraging employees to become water stewards by adopting conservation practices at work and home.  

Conclusion  

Corporate water stewardship is a vital strategy for addressing global water challenges. By embracing sustainable practices, businesses can contribute significantly to water security, not only within their operations but also across supply chains and communities. Through measures like water efficiency, green infrastructure, innovative technologies, and partnerships, companies can reduce their water footprint, mitigate risks, and create lasting positive impacts.  

Transparent measurement and reporting foster accountability and demonstrate commitment to stakeholders, while advocacy efforts amplify the message of water sustainability. Although challenges such as high costs and regulatory complexities exist, the opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and leadership far outweigh these hurdles.  

Aqua Maya, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving water access in underserved regions, exemplifies the importance of partnerships between businesses and NGOs. By working alongside corporations and with the support of the public, Aqua Maya is able to provide clean water solutions, and empower communities with sustainable practices. Such collaborations highlight the potential for businesses to extend their impact beyond profit, creating shared value for people and the planet.  

As the world grapples with increasing water scarcity, businesses must view water stewardship as an opportunity to lead. By adopting sustainable practices, advocating for policy changes, and investing in innovative solutions, corporations can drive global progress towards equitable and sustainable water access for all. In doing so, they not only ensure their own resilience but also contribute to a future where clean water is accessible to everyone.  

 

 

Sources:

1. https://stewardship.thewatercouncil.com/
2. https://sustainability.atmeta.com/blog/2023/03/15/what-does-it-mean-to-be-water-positive/
3. https://iwrmactionhub.org/learn/iwrm-tools/corporate-stewardship
4. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2022.909606/full
5. https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/waterandsustainabledevelopment2015/stakeholders_business.shtml