Global Water Tool

The Global Water Tool™ (GWT) is a free, publicly available resource for identifying corporate water risks and opportunities which provides easy access to and analysis of critical data. It includes a workbook (data input, inventory by site, key reporting indicators, metrics calculations), a mapping function to plot sites with datasets, and a Google Earth interface for spatial viewing.

By comparing your sites with the best available water, sanitation, population and biodiversity information on a country and watershed basis, the tool allows you to answer the following questions:

  • How many of your sites are in extremely water-scarce areas? Which sites are at greatest risk? How will this change in the future?
  • How much of your total production is generated from your most at risk sites?
  • How many of your employees live in countries that lack access to improved water and sanitation?
  • How many of your suppliers are in water scarce areas now and will be in 2025?

The Global Water Tool™ supports companies operating in multiple countries in starting their water management journey and helps companies build long-term water management strategies which minimize risk and build long-term resilience.

Users can quickly map their locations and water use data against water, sanitation, population and biodiversity datasets, as well as stress indicators on a country and watershed basis, and in turn assess risks related to their global operations, supply chains, new projects and prioritize action. The tool is compatible with GEMI’s Local Water Tool™ to build water management plans at a specific site or operation.

Key benefits

  • Understand water use/needs of operations in relation to local externalities (including staff presence, industrial use and supply chain, water consumption and efficiency) to make informed decisions
  • Perform a first level screening through maps or charts capturing key water performance and risk indicators of water consumption, efficiency and intensity. These metrics can then be used for communication with internal and external stakeholders and reporting under corporate disclosure initiatives like the Global Reporting Initiative, CDP Water, Bloomberg and Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

New additions to the GWT

First launched in 2007, updated in 2011 with the addition of biodiversity hotspots, new reporting metrics and summary outputs, the latest version of the GWT, released in March 2015 includes:

  • New datasets on water stress, more recent and comprehensive data, with improved modelling (WRI)
  • Updated datasets (e.g. FAO, WHO/UNICEF JMP WSS)
  • Updated reporting metrics
  • Improved GIS-based mapping
  • User-friendly additions (easier data import, improved navigation and offline capabilities, improved coding)

Downloads

We are currently experiencing technical problems with the Global Water Tool and are working to solve them. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Global Water Tool™

Global Water Tool™ user guide

India Water Tool™

Global Water Tool™ FAQ

Global Water Tool™ for Cement

Global Water Tool™ dataset details

Global Water Tool™ for Oil & Gas

Global Water Tool™ – additional technical details

Global Water Tool™ for Power Utilities

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