water

A new report, Corn or Current? The Agro-Industrial Water Conflict, shows where conflicts between industry and agriculture for limited water supplies could be most severe. It reveals that $21 billion in U.S. electricity sales and $1.2 billion in farm products face water risks.

Using Aqueduct data, participants in a recent workshop in Trifinio, Guatemala developed scenarios for decision-makers to manage water and adapt to climate change.

In an article written for Johns Hopkins University Water Institute, WRI's Aqueduct team discuss why good data is needed to plan for water stress and a changing climate.

In an article written for Huffington Post, Andrew Steer discusses how shale energy depends on water supply.

The shale gas revolution, which began nearly 10 years ago in the United States, is poised to spread across the globe. For many countries, shale gas could strengthen energy security while cutting emissions.

But unlocking this massive resource comes with a significant environmental risk: access to freshwater for drinking, agriculture, and industrial use.

Dozens of countries are deciding whether or not to develop their shale gas and tight oil resources in order to reduce emissions, create new jobs, and increase national energy supplies. However, extracting natural gas and tight oil from shale poses water risk.

We analyzed water stress levels in the 20 countries with the largest shale gas and tight oil resources, and found that 40 percent face high water stress.