The Water Footprint Assessment Manual: Setting the Global Standard

criteria for identifying environmental hotspots 4.2.3. Social sustainability criteria for identifying social hotspots 4.2.4. Economic sustainability criteria for identifying economic hotspots 4.2.5. Assessing primary and secondary impacts in the hotspots identified 4.3. Sustainability of the water footprint of a process 4.4. Sustainability of the water footprint of a product 4.4.1. Identifying the unsustainable components in the water footprint of a product 4.4.2. Water footprint impact indices reflecting local environmental impacts 4.5. Sustainability of the water footprint of a business 4.6. Sustainability of the water footprint of a consumer 5. Library of water footprint response options 5.1. Shared responsibility 5.2. Reducing the water footprint of humanity: what is possible? 5.3. Consumers 5.4. Companies 5.5. Farmers 5.6. Investors 5.7. Governments 6. Limitations 7. Future challenges 7.1. Water footprint assessment methodology and data 7.2. Application of the water footprint in different contexts 7.3. Embedding the water footprint in existing water and environmental accounts and reports 7.4. Linking to ecological, energy and carbon footprint methods 7.5. Linking to material flow analysis, input-output modelling, and life cycle assessment 8. Conclusion Appendix I: Calculation of green and blue evapotranspiration using the CROPWAT model Appendix II: Calculating the process water footprint of growing a crop - an example for sugar beet in Valladolid (Spain) Appendix III: Calculating the water footprint of a product - example for refined sugar from Valladolid (Spain) Appendix IV: Examples of grey water footprint calculations Appendix V: Environmental flow requirements Appendix VI: Frequently asked questions References List of symbols Glossary Index

and compare water uses are important in this respect. WWF applauds the publication of this guidance through which a valuable tool becomes available for everyone.' Johan van de Gronden, CEO WWF-Netherlands 'We at DEG, member of KfW Bankengruppe, value water as one of the most important natural resources. We actively engage to finance entrepreneurial initiatives in the water sector aimed at creating a sustainable use of water. Congratulations to the second edition of the Water Footprint Assessment Manual, which can help our clients to understand better their water risks and opportunities in a globalizing economy.' Dr. Peter Thimme, Director Sustainable Development, Environment, First Vice President, DEG 'A decade ago, the architects of the water footprint concept captured the world's interest by unveiling the volumes of water required to produce the goods we consume in our daily lives. Those water footprint numbers made us aware that personal and corporate responsibility for water use extends well beyond the walls of our homes or our factories -- it extends throughout the supply chains, particularly the farm fields, where water is consumed in delivering goods and ingredients to us. Now, with the publication of The Water Footprint Assessment Manual, we have come to appreciate the fact that true water stewardship is not solely about the volume of our water footprints - instead, it's about paying attention to where those footprints land, in local watersheds, and paying attention to the undesirable impacts that come with unsustainable water use. This Manual will be invaluable to anyone wishing to assess, and improve, the sustainability of their water use.' Brian Richter, Managing Director of Global Freshwater Program, The Nature Conservancy 'Population growth and economic development is placing enormous pressure on our already scarce fresh water supplies. We produce water thirsty commodities in dry locations, we over allocate water resources within watersheds, and we continue to overwhelm our natural systems with pollution, placing more than 126,000 freshwater dependent species, as well as human beings, at great risk. The Water Footprint Assessment Manual is an extremely valuable tool and standard methodology that we hope will be widely adopted by governments, non-profits, corporations, and watershed managers to ensure the sustainability of producing various goods and services in various locations and to accurately report water use and management information across product supply chains and in watersheds.' Russ Mittermeier, President, Conservation International