how can water availability
and quality affect your business?
Healthy freshwater ecosystems are the lifeline of industries worldwide, providing the water essential for production, supply chains, and economic stability. Certain sectors—such as retail, beverages, food and agriculture, energy production, textiles, and manufacturing—rely on them the most. Whether it's irrigating crops, cooling power plants, generating hydroelectricity, or refining fabrics, freshwater plays an indispensable role.
Yet, this vital resource is under immense pressure. The growing water crisis threatens over €11 trillion in economic value1, jeopardizing food security and business sustainability across Europe. Droughts alone cause €9 billion in annual losses2—more than half of which impact agriculture and energy.
© Alexander Ivanov
What is water stewardship,
and how can it benefit
my business?
Water stewardship is the responsible use and management of water in a socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically beneficial way. It takes a stakeholder-inclusive approach, addressing water challenges at both the site and catchment levels.
Or simply put, water stewardship means taking proactive steps to use water efficiently, reduce pollution, and collaborate with others—from local communities to policymakers—to ensure long-term water security for both businesses and nature. As water risks intensify, businesses face increasing financial, regulatory, and reputational pressures to act.
How to navigate the water
stewardship journey
WWF enables your business to take meaningful action on freshwater challenges directly impacting your operations, supply chains, and surrounding communities.
Tо support companies on their water stewardship journey, the Water Stewardship Ladder was developed as a structured framework to help assess your current position and identify key areas for progress (see Fig. 1 below). This journey is not strictly linear; businesses can advance across
multiple areas simultaneously based on their priorities and commitments. It is also iterative in nature, leaving space for continuous improvement and adjustment.
At the core of effective water stewardship is collective action. Water is a shared resource, and its challenges cannot be solved in isolation. True, transformational change occurs when businesses, communities, governments, and NGOs work together beyond their direct operations to address shared water risks at scale.
What practical steps
can my business take?
Assess and respond to water risks to enhance resilience by understanding potential threats and taking proactive measures. The WWF Water Risk Filter is a corporate and portfolio-level screening tool designed to help businesses prioritize action where it matters most, reducing risks while contributing to a more sustainable future.
By assessing both operational dependencies and basin water risks, the WWF Water Risk Filter helps you understand your exposure and anticipate how basin risks may evolve between 2030 and 2050 under different climate and socioeconomic scenarios—guiding actions to enhance long-term resilience and investment security.
Explore real-world case studies and industry insights here.
Credibility and certification
The AWS International Water Stewardship Standard (AWS Standard) is a globally recognized framework that helps major water users understand their water use and impacts. It promotes collaborative and transparent approaches to sustainable water management within a catchment context. The goal is to drive social, environmental, and economic benefits at the catchment level.
The Standard engages water-using sites in identifying shared catchment water challenges as well as site-specific water risks and opportunities. It provides a structured approach that guides sites toward progressive improvement, helping them adopt best practices in five key outcome areas. AWS Certification confirms that an organization meets a globally recognized benchmark.
It provides credibility to both internal and external stakeholders, validating water management claims. Certified sites can use their AWS Standard certification to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable water practices to stakeholders, customers, and business partners.
How can nature-based solutions help my business
manage water challenges?
Nature-based solutions (NBS) use natural systems, such as wetlands, forests, and soils, to help manage water resources sustainably. These solutions enhance water availability, improve water quality, and build resilience to climate-related challenges, all while supporting biodiversity and local communities.
Wetlands, for example, act as natural sponges, absorbing excess water during floods and retaining moisture during droughts. Restoring wetlands can help protect supply chains from water-related disruptions, ensuring businesses are more resilient to both too much and too little water.
How can collaborating
with others help
my business
© Tomas Marek, Shutterstock
Water knows no borders, connects everything within a watershed, and your business is likely not the only one relying on this vital resource. How your company manages water directly impacts communities, ecosystems, and other water users within your watershed. Likewise, actions of other water users within the same watershed affect your business, communities, and the ecosystems that depend on water. Whether near or far, water challenges affect everyone, making collaboration essential to reducing risks and
ensuring long-term sustainability. By partnering with local stakeholders, governments, scientists, NGOs and other businesses, you can develop collective solutions to shared water challenges. This not only helps mitigate risks but also enhances access to water for all, creating resilient communities, healthier ecosystems, and, implicitly, a more resilient business environment. Much like being a good neighbor, working together ensures that sustainable water use benefits both people and nature—now and in the future.
get involved
Join us in advancing corporate water stewardship and become part of the WWF sustainability community. Here’s how you can take action:
- Subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed about the latest insights, tools, and opportunities in water stewardship.
- Need help with the Water Risk Filter? Our team is here to guide you in assessing and addressing water risks for your business. For basic support, please make sure to first check our tutorial page. If you still need help, don’t hesitate to contact us.
- Partner with WWF to develop impactful water stewardship initiatives and drive meaningful change. Contact Emőke Györfi, WWF-CEE Regional Water Stewardship Manager, e-mail: egyorfi@wwfcee.org
At WWF, we work closely with businesses to help them integrate sustainable practices into their operations and supply chains. Through tailored partnerships, strategic guidance, and innovative solutions, we support companies in making the shift toward more responsible and water-secure business models.
ABOUT
The Water Stewardship Hub is designed by WWF-CEE - a regional representation of the world’s largest independent conservation organizations— to support businesses on their sustainability journey. The hub provides resources, tools, and expert guidance to help companies manage water risks and drive positive environmental impact.
A key initiative within this effort is the Living Danube Partnership,
a unique cross-sector collaboration focused on restoring freshwater ecosystems, improving water management, and fostering partnerships for a more resilient Danube River Basin.
The Water Stewardship Knowledge Hub was created as part of the Living Danube Partnership and thanks to the financial support of Coca-Cola Europe and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company.
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Published in March 2025 by WWF-CEE.
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