Helpful Free Water Tools

The motivation for addressing water challenges will vary from business to business. Below, we have gathered a range of free water tools, and connected them to specific drivers for why a company would engage in Stewardship. Depending on what your driver is, you can find a suitable tool that can help you develop a strategy for mitigating risk, or utilising opportunity.

Assess Physical Water Risk (catchment scale):

One of the most prominent drivers for engaging in stewardship is to understand and mitigate water risk. This includes developing a deeper understanding of the water context in which the company operates, assessing the degree of water stress in the associated river basins, and evaluating the effectiveness of the water governance system in those areas.

Links to related tools:

Tool:     Water Risk Filter Link:     http://waterriskfiler.panda.org Owner: WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Description of tool: This tool helps companies and investors ask the right questions about water. It allows you to assess risks and offers guidance on what to do in response.

Tool:     Aqueduct Link:     http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/aqueduct Owner: WRI (World Resources Institute) Description of tool: Measuring, mapping and understanding water risks around the globe.

Tool:    Practical Perspective on Managing Water-Related Business Risk and Opportunities in the Beverage Sector Link:    http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/49d7a0_f49252ae57154a7baefbd0c314e311f1.pdf​ Owner: BIER (Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable) Description of tool: this guideline is designed to lead beverage companies through a step-by-step process for identifying, prioritising and managing the industry's most important water challenges

Understand Water Impact of Operations:

Water does not only have an effect on business, businesses also have an effect on water. Consequently, many companies does not only seek to understand how they use water, but also seek to comprehend what impact their operations have on surrounding communities and the wider environment that share the same water resources.

Link to related tool:

Tool:     GEMI Local Water Tool™ (LWT) Link:     http://gemi.org/localwatertool Owner: GEMI (Global Environmental Management Initiative) Description of tool: The GEMI Local Water Tool™(LWT) is a tool for companies and organisations to evaluate the external impacts, business risks, opportunities and management plans related to water use and discharge at a specific site or operation.

Communicate with Investors:

Many companies experience that pressure from investors to disclose efforts to mitigate water risks are increasing. Thus, being able to communicate with investors what activities the company are undertaking through effective channels is critical.

Link to related tool:

Tool:     CDP Water Disclosure Link:     https://www.cdp.net/en/water Owner: CDP Description of tool: CDP's water program motivates companies to disclose and reduce their environmental impacts by using the power of investors and customers. The data CDP collects helps influential decision makers to reduce risk, capitalise on opportunities and drive action towards a more sustainable world.

Tool:    Ceres Aqua Gauge Link:     https://www.ceres.org/resources/tools/ceres-aqua-gauge-comprehensive-assessment-tool-evaluating-corporate-management Owner: Ceres Description of tool: The Aqua Gauge is a flexible Excel-based tool and associated methodology that allows investors to scorecard a company's water management activities against detailed definitions of leading practice.

Monetize Water Risk:

In order to motivate why resources are devoted to stewardship efforts, both at site level and at board level, many companies seek tools and strategies that would help them to monetise the water risk. Being able to attach a monetary value to the risk has proven to be an effective way to drive action forward.

Links to related tool:

Tool:     Water Risk Monetizer Link:     http://www.waterriskmonetizer.com/ Owner: Ecolab, Microsoft & TruCost Description of tool: The Water Risk Monetizer provides actionable information to help businesses understand water-related risks and quantify risks in financial terms to inform responsible decisions that enable growth.

Understand Water Use along Supply Chains:

For many companies, the biggest water challenges, both in terms of water use and impact are not found at the site level, but in the supply chain. However, to understand the broader water-related circumstances of the supply chain – or even value chain – can be challenging, especially if operating in an industry where supply chains are long and complex. Nevertheless, if there is a chance that the business is sourcing from areas with high water risk, proactively engaging with the supply chain is a crucial activity.

Link to related tool:

Tool:     Water Footprint Link:     http://waterfootprint.org/en/water-footprint/  Owner: WFN (Water Footprint Network) Description of tool: Water Footprint Assessment is a process of four stages (Scoping; Accounting; Assessment; Response) that quantifies and maps water footprints, assesses the sustainability, efficiency and equitability of water use, and identifies which actions should be prioritised in order to make a footprint sustainable.

Assess and Mitigate Reputational Risk

Water is a politically sensitive subject, particularly when combined with private sector engagement. Thus, many companies find that their key driver for engaging in stewardship is to hedge against, or mitigate reputational risks associated with water engagements. To engaging proactively with water in an open and transparent manner, both at site level and within wider communities is key. 

Link to related tool:

Tool:   GRI's G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines Link:   https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/ Owner: GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) Description of tool: By using the GRI Guidelines, reporting organisations disclose their most critical impacts - be they positive or negative - on the environment, society and the economy. They can generate reliable, relevant and standardised information with which to assess opportunities and risks, and enable more informed decision-making - both within the business and among its stakeholders. G4 is designed to be universally applicable to all organisations of all types and sectors, large and small, across the world.