There are currently several tools under development that seek to assist companies in their efforts to measure their water performance and better understand their water-related risks and impacts.

WWF-DEG Water Risk Filter

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) is developing the Water Risk Filter in collaboration with German development bank Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG), which allows investors and companies from all industries to assess and quantify water related risks across the globe based on their geographic location (basin-related risks) and their own impact (company-specific risk). The filter translates the most up-to-date underlying data sets, including the newest Water Footprint Network (WFN) scarcity data, into risk metrics. Furthermore, the user will be able to plot all assessed facilities on maps with different water relevant map overlays. The results can be displayed on portfolio as well as on facility level, and a specific report will provide the user with all information needed to fill in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire.

The freely available online tool is being designed for the non-water expert user, and will contain highly detailed data sets for 231 countries and territories. To bridge the gap between understanding risks and action on the ground, the Filter offers a “mitigation toolbox” that lists overview of >250 mitigation responses, accompanied by >80 up-to-date case studies. The risk filter will be launched in January 2012 and WWF and DEG have developed long-term plans to maintain and further improve this risk filter.

GEMI Local Water Tool

The Global Environmental Management Initiative (GEMI) is developing the GEMI Local Water Tool™ (LWT). The GEMI LWT™ will be a free, publicly-available tool which helps companies evaluate specific sites for water impacts and risks in order to devise site-specific sustainable water management strategies.

When used in conjunction with WBCSD’s Global Water Tool (GWT), the GEMI LWT™ will become a major tool helping companies around the world address water sustainability challenges and opportunities. In addition, the GEMI LWT™ and WBCSD GWT include a resource of best practices for sustainable water management at the global, regional, national, and local levels. It is anticipated that this new solution tool will be made be available to the public in Spring 2012. In addition, GEMI is developing the GEMI LWTTM for Oil & Gas, which will be compatible with IPIECA’s GWT for Oil & Gas. Additional GEMI LWTTM sector tools may be developed in the future.

WFN Water Footprint Assessment Tool (WFAT)

The Water Footprint Network is developing the Water Footprint Assessment Tool (WFAT) with support from Unilever, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group and the German development bank Deutsche Entwicklungsgesellschaft (DEG). The WFAT can be used by businesses, investors, government, civil society and consumers to understand the water footprint of processes, products, companies, sectors, consumers or groups of consumers and within geographic areas such as a catchment or river basin.

The WFAT will provide access to the Water Footprint Network’s WATSTAT database, the world’s leading water footprint database and will follow the Water Footprint Network’s methodology for Water Footprint Assessment. In the tool, water footprint calculations can be done using the default data from the WATSTAT or the user’s own data. In addition to calculating the water footprint, the WFAT can assist a user in assessing the impacts – or sustainability – of their water footprint and formulating and prioritizing response strategies. The output of the WFAT will be displayed in visual forms such as maps, graphs and hydrographs as well as in text and spreadsheets. The WFAT will be available for free, online at www.waterfootprint.org in early 2012.