The private sector is increasingly reporting water as a material risk. Water risks like scarcity, floods and droughts can cause operational and supplier disruptions, higher operational costs, brand damage and heightened regulatory uncertainty. These risks pose threats not only to businesses themselves, but the people who rely on them for employment and services. 

WRI’s Water Program empowers companies to reduce business risks related to water. By working with WRI, companies can assess their water risks, advance sustainable water management and prepare for current and future water and climate shocks. This has resulted in a wealth of user success stories: we've helped Cargill set contextual water targets; Tyson Food uses Aqueduct’s Water Risk Atlas to screen for water-related risks across its facilities and segments of its value chain; and Ecolab leverages Aqueduct data for two publicly available tools, the Water Risk Monetizer and Ecolab Smart Water Navigator.

WRI works to grow the profile of Corporate Water Stewardship as a critical element of advancing global climate action by:

  • Providing tools.
  • Reporting and disclosing corporate water risk.
  • Setting and tracking contextual targets and water stewardship strategies.
  • Providing water risk and opportunity assessments.
  • Mapping public water management, as well as the water-food nexus and water-energy nexus.
  • Providing nature-based solutions for water infrastructure and management.
  • Supporting water finance and accounting.
  • Engaging with partners.

Through these actions, WRI can help companies drive business growth and build resilience while making invaluable contributions to solving shared water challenges. This work advances the Sustainable Development Goals and supports human rights.

Image credit: Florida Water Daily/Flickr