This working paper updates the 2013 Aqueduct Global Maps 2.0 Metadata Document. It describes the data sources and calculations for the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas Global Maps. Complete guidelines and processes for data collection, calculations, and mapping techniques are described in the Aqueduct Global Maps 2.1: Constructing Decision-Relevant Global Water Risk Indicators.
Many places around the world have no idea how much groundwater and surface water they have, let alone how much they can use sustainably. The United Nation's proposed Sustainable Development Goals, however, could transform the way governments understand and manage scarce water resources.
Companies are realizing that managing water within their four walls is insufficient. Only coordinated, collective action can protect water resources and mitigate long-term business risks.
WRI evaluated the climate-water implications of more than 20 generation technologies in China, and found several win-win solutions for its power sector to reduce water impacts and emissions.
With the changing global climate, river flooding in cities worldwide has emerged as an immense challenge to urban resilience.
Since average global temperatures are already rising and the effects of climate change are becoming increasingly palpable around the world, cities need to focus on adaptation measures in order to strengthen their resiliency and better protect billions of global urbanites.
China’s power sector is its largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and also its biggest industrial water user. As a result, current and future decisions about electricity generation—and energy efficiency—will have profound impacts on both global climate and domestic water resources.
New analysis shows that approximately 21 million people worldwide could be affected by river floods on average each year, with that number rising to 54 million in 2030 due to climate change and socio-economic development.
The USDA's new Regional Conservation Partnerships Program aims to improve water quality by reducing agricultural runoff in targeted watersheds. The challenge is, how do we help make sure this new approach is successful?
India is one of the most water-challenged countries in the world, from its deepest aquifers to its largest rivers.
The India Water Tool 2.0 is the most comprehensive, publicly available online tool evaluating India’s water risks.
In India, rapid industrialization and urbanization are taking place at a time when increases in water supply are limited.
A new WRI working paper finds that reducing flooding in rice paddies can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and can also help conserve water and boost yields.
A sustainable food future will require reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture even as the world produces substantially more food. The production of rice, the staple crop for the majority of the world’s population, emits large quantities of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
In fast-urbanizing China, nearly 90 percent of coastal cities face some degree of water scarcity and roughly 300 million rural residents lack access to clean water.
To quench the country’s chronic thirst, the Chinese government has turned to desalination, aiming to produce as much as 3 million cubic meters of desalinated water daily by 2020, up from today’s 0.77 million cubic meter.
O Brasil possui maior quantidade de água doce do que qualquer outro país no mundo—12% do volume total de todo planeta. Então, como São Paulo—a maior e mais rica cidade da América do Sul—está ficando sem água? Três mapas ajudam a contar essa complexa história.
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.
Since the late 1950s the United States has observed an increase in heavy precipitation. Warming temperatures due to human-caused climate change has allowed the atmosphere to hold more moisture, which has been a main contributing factor to these increases.
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.