WWF is encouraging and helping governments and businesses to better manage water resources, in order to reduce water footprint impacts.
Promoting good water stewardship
"Water footprint" refers to the water used for agriculture, by business & industry, and in households. It can be calculated for everything from an individual product to a company's operations to an entire country.
In terms of WWF's work, the impact of this water use is more important than the amount of water used.
These impacts can include habitat loss, reduced water flow and/or reduced water quality – and must be addressed to achieve our twin goals of saving biodiversity and reducing humanity's impact on natural habitats.
In terms of WWF's work, the impact of this water use is more important than the amount of water used.
These impacts can include habitat loss, reduced water flow and/or reduced water quality – and must be addressed to achieve our twin goals of saving biodiversity and reducing humanity's impact on natural habitats.
The concept of "water footprint" has rapidly emerged as a major concern for companies, finance institutions, insurers and government agencies.
WWF's Global Freshwater Programme is at the forefront of developing this concept to measure both water use and the impacts of this use, and from this defining public and private sector actions that support better water management in specific river basins. We are engaging with companies, NGOs and governments to find, promote, and implement specific solutions.
Examples of this work include:
WWF's Global Freshwater Programme is at the forefront of developing this concept to measure both water use and the impacts of this use, and from this defining public and private sector actions that support better water management in specific river basins. We are engaging with companies, NGOs and governments to find, promote, and implement specific solutions.
Examples of this work include:
- Promoting private sector water stewardship at the global level
This includes ensuring that water footprint tools and measurements are broadly accepted and reviewed through stakeholder fora (such as the Better Cotton Initiative and water roundtables convened by WWF through the Market Transformation Initiative) and that public policy for water is broadly supported by the private sector.
- Engaging with individual businesses to reduce the impacts of their water use
This includes calculating the water footprint of business operations and supply chains in key countries, identifying credible measures to address water issues and impacts, and supporting appropriate policy changes in water management.
- Promoting public sector water stewardship at the river basin level
This includes measuring water use and impacts at the river basin level, demonstrating solutions for reducing these impacts, and promoting national and international policies (such as for agriculture and irrigation) that encourage good water stewardship and ensure environmental flows.
Partnering for better water management
WWF's work with The Coca Cola Company combines different approaches to achieve better water management. Amongst other things, a 3-year partnership aims to:
• Improve water efficiency in Company manufacturing operations by 20%• Support more efficient water use in the Company’s agricultural supply chain, beginning with sugarcane
• Develop and implement comprehensive water stewardship plans for 7 river basins around the world that will serve as models for the Coca-Cola system and will further inform global water stewardship goals.
The Coca Cola Compnay is also a member of the Water Footprint Network, a group of 50 partners committed to reducing impacts of crop and commodity production on the world’s most critical freshwater habitats. The network will standardize wise water use methods across business and set the standards for water standards, stewardship and disclosure. WWF is a founding member; other members include Nestlé, Unilever, and the Swiss Development Cooperation.
