Global Water Stress Indices: An example of their industrial usage

Abstract: Water stress assessments on basin level of 96 SCA sites and global water issues affecting industry are presented. Four tools are evaluated with the aim to find indices that measure water stress, i.e. lack of water of good enough quality for humans and the ecosystem. Water indices, developed through research, become more accessible when they are in water tools, developed by non-governmental organisations, corporations or financial institutions. Two indices in WBCSD’s Global Water Tool and three indices in WWF-DEG’s Water Risk Filter totally give each site five assessments. Both tools give assessments without showing the level of certainty, which makes it difficult to evaluate reliability without more local knowledge. Baseline Water Stress, one of the indices in the study, estimates the level of water stress in the basin. The index shows 47 SCA sites in basins with indications of water stress. Presumably, several sites are affected by water stress.