New Tool for Sustainable Water Management in IndiaHome

new version of the India Water Tool (IWT 2.0), which helps users understand water risks and prioritise actions for sustainable water management. IWT 2.0, the first of its kind, is a country-specific tool developed jointly by a14-member working group, including 10 companies (ACC, Ambuja, Aditya Birla Group, BASF, ITC, Jain Irrigation, Mahindra, Monsanto, Nestle, PepsiCo) and three knowledge partners (World Resources Institute, CII-Triveni Water Institute, and Skoll Global Threats Fund), led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The tool helps users respond to these challenges by enabling them to measure and map water risks at a meaningful scale. User-friendly and publicly available, it integrates 14 available datasets from Indian government agencies as well as water stress indicators from the World Resources Institute and Columbia Water Center.

The IWT2.0 online platform provides easy access to, and analysis of, comprehensive and critical data. Users can produce maps or export excel-based spreadsheets with indicators selected to capture key water risks. It allows for first level screening of new sites by companies and investors to assess their potential risks, and generates outputs that can be used to report on disclosure initiatives like the Global Reporting Initiative, CDP Water and Dow Jones Sustainability Index, among others.

The tool is another step towards improved water management in India. The nationwide analysis provided by the tool can guide a deeper understanding of local communities' water situations, and help build a comprehensive corporate water management strategy and holistic stewardship approaches. Follow-up activities can include prioritization of action for water-stressed sites, detailed site level assessments, internal environmental data-tracking, and evaluation of new projects.

Source: http://www.wbcsd.org//