Collaborative actions for sustainable water management

It is estimated that by 2020 around two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed countries. Global water use for human purposes can be split into three major categories: around 70 percent is used for agriculture, 20 percent for industry and the remaining 10 percent for domestic activities. Demand for water will increase in all three of these areas as populations grow and as countries become more industrialized.

Companies interact with water in all of these areas. World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) member companies provide numerous products and services to industry, agriculture, communities and households. The WBCSD promotes sustainable water management and raises awareness in the business community of the consequences faced by society when water is mismanaged. The organization’s views have been published in three reports.

Member companies’ water improvement programs are not confined to industry and agriculture; they frequently integrate with domestic needs so that communities benefit directly from improvements made by business. Where communities lack basic water and sanitation services, improvements made by business can be coordinated with efforts to meet these needs.

This document
The sustainable management of water makes an important contribution to the achievement of social and economic development. This can only be done through all sectors working closely together. The “Collaborative Actions” presented in this document ( 216 kb) identify steps that business can take, in interaction with other stakeholders, to ensure sustainable water management.

The actions are supported by case studies demonstrating how companies are working in collaboration with communities and governments to achieve sustainable water management. The case studies are intended to illustrate key parts of each collaborative action in practice, rather than present a comprehensive display of every section of the relevant action.

The WBCSD is publishing this discussion document to prompt further dialogue among stakeholders and to encourage further practical actions by its members and other companies.

A business perspective
Business needs reliable water supplies to manufacture products and deliver services to its customers. It also needs safe sanitation systems to protect the health of its employees and to treat and recycle used water. It needs healthy and vibrant communities and attractive environments in which it can do business. These cannot exist if water management is neglected.

Industrial and agricultural demand for water must be considered against the backdrop of inadequate water supply and sanitation in many areas of the world. Each year there are hundreds of millions of cases of waterrelated diseases and more than five million deaths caused by unsafe drinking water and inadequate or nonexistent sanitation.

Access to water has been declared a basic human right. International concern for water and sanitation issues was expressed in the United Nations Millennium Declaration. Despite this concern there has been limited progress towards meeting the Millennium targets on water and sanitation. The consequences for people and business are severe and will grow with increasing populations and urbanization, and as the effects of climate change take hold.

Achieving the Millennium Development Goal of ensuring environmental sustainability requires more than infrastructure. As a responsible member of society, business should use water efficiently, innovate to develop water efficient products and services and play its part in ensuring that all water needs are met, including those of the environment. Business must also ensure that its activities and products do not pollute this vital resource.

The need for collaborative action
Water supply and sanitation are prerequisites for sustainable development. Providing safe water services depends upon a healthy environment where water resources are not over-exploited or excessively polluted.

When water ecosystems fail, the foundation for water supply and sanitation is lost. Everyone, including business, has a vested interest in making sure that this does not happen by managing water in a sustainable manner.

Making progress is not easy. Companies that provide water services in the developing world face high risks, especially where there are few guidelines or controls to regulate their operations and protect their investment.

This means that much needed private sector expertise and finance is rarely available to help overcome water service deficiencies.

Some countries lack the governance structures necessary to introduce or support efficient water services. In circumstances where there are few laws and regulations controlling water use and wastewater disposal, businesses must adopt international standards and ensure that their activities are socially and environmentally responsible. This applies whether they are in an industry that uses water services or are part of the water service industry itself.

The experiences of WBCSD member companies meeting their own business interests and benefiting the communities where they work can be seen in the varied case studies included in this document, as well as in others accessible at www.wbcsd.org/web/casestudy.htm

An ongoing dialogue
The WBCSD Water and Sustainable Development Program aims to enhance understanding in the business community of critical water issues while actively promoting mutual understanding between business and non-business stakeholders. Engaging leading companies representing a broad spectrum of activity, the current program is focused on the role of business in sustainable water management and on strengthening the foundation for effective business action.

As shown in the present document, much can be done by the business community. Additional perspectives on conditions that can enhance that contribution, particularly in relation to meeting the MDG targets for water and sanitation, have been jointly submitted with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development on behalf of the Business and Industry Major Group.

But is recognition of the lessons of the past and present sufficient preparation for the future? In a world facing more acute and more widespread water constraints, businesses will be increasingly confronted with uncertainties, tensions and dilemmas in their use of water.

At the same time, they will find growing opportunities to provide solutions to enable sustainable water management for all.

Member companies of the WBCSD believe that ongoing dialogue with other stakeholders is one of the keys to successfully navigating the future.

The Water Working Group has therefore launched a scenario planning process, with the participation of non-business stakeholders, to develop alternative narratives on how water issues might evolve over the next 20 to 25 years. The project will examine the influence of water-related issues on social, economic and environmental development and explore the roles business can play in shaping appropriate actions and outcomes.

The discussion generated by this document highlighting “Collaborative Actions” will contribute to this process. We welcome feedback from all stakeholders.

Author WBCSD Publication Date 12 Apr 2005 Document Type Publications WBCSD news Issue/Topic Water Source WBCSD Include In RSS WBCSD News & Updates		216 kb Click here to order