A watershed approach considers upstream and downstream interactions, direct and indirect impacts, and environmental needs. For many businesses, this approach is a more cost-effective way to reduce water risks and offers significant benefits and opportunities through new revenue prospects, enhanced reputation, improved compliance and cost savings, the report said. .
The document Sharing Water: Working with Business notes that business has a key role to play in ensuring responsible water management and encourages closer collaboration between sectors. The report notes that leading companies have begun to change their perspective from just managing operational water to becoming more aware of how corporate actions impact local and regional water resources and, in turn, how water resources and watersheds impact business.
Over the next years, companies must pay more attention to off-site water UAE Phone Number management to ensure sustainable water use. Local participation in water management is critical to ensuring long-term access to scarce resources, the report said.
A report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development found that global business-as-usual water demand will increase by % by , leaving little room to meet growing water demand while respecting the needs of ecosystems. Without improvements in the management and use of freshwater resources, the world may face a % shortage of freshwater supplies by
The report notes that water resource management challenges are compounded by the localized nature of water quality and quantity, which is determined by a variety of local factors including geography, geology, climate, population, infrastructure, competition and regulation. No two watersheds are the same, so some areas are less susceptible to water stress while others face water scarcity and pollution issues.
Laurent Auguste, president and CEO of Veolia Water Americas, wrote in a February column in Environmental Leader that water-intensive companies are increasingly considering the strength of local water management when deciding where to operate. Water and its availability can promote economic success or lead to some kind of doom, he said.
In January, WWF and H&M launched a three-year partnership to develop a global water strategy that will be implemented across the fashion retailer's country markets and direct suppliers.