Chris Fawcett, Head of Sustainability, looks at the issue of water scarcity and how water footprinting can improve supply chain management and reduce environmental impact.
Water scarcity is no longer just an issue impacting others overseas; we only need to look back to earlier in the year, when Eastern England in particular suffered severe water shortages and droughts, to realise that water scarcity is a national concern in the UK.
In addition to the increasing demands being placed on our own water resources, the UK is the sixth largest net importer of ‘embedded’ or ‘virtual’ water in the world. The impact of UK consumption of water overseas in water scarce areas is therefore fast becoming a cause for concern for our businesses and government.
The realities of a changing climate reinforce the importance of understanding water use and managing water effectively, particularly in reference to food production. Businesses need to assess the impact that climate change can have on their ability to continue to reliably deliver their goods and services.
To fully assess a business’s water footprint it is necessary to engage with the supply chain, quantifying water consumption at all its stages, from the production of raw materials through to product use and understanding the impacts of this consumption at the specific geographic locations at point of water use. There can be considerable business risks related to the unsustainable use of water resources so it is essential that effective and targeted risk management strategies are formulated to develop responsible and resilient supply chains.
Water footprint assessments provide a way of quantifying the amount of ‘virtual’ water associated with a product and provide a means of understanding the impact that it has on the environment by comparing the consumption to available water resources. ADAS regularly carries out such assessments for companies, and has recently been working with the Environment Agency and the Welsh Assembly Government investigating issues surrounding food production and the impact on water resources, supporting policy development and long term water resource management.
For more information please contact Chris Fawcett on 01902 693479 or email Chris.Fawcett@adas.co.uk.