Water Positive through Unconventional Water Resources
“Water Positive” is a concept that goes beyond a simple balance of water use. It refers to an entity’s strategic actions that lead to a net positive contribution to global water resources. There are several approaches to achieve this goal, and this proposal assembles more than 60 professionals from across the world, from varied disciplines, aiming to suggest yet another method: the purification of water through multi-barrier systems, a sustainable water source with a level of purity exceeding that which is currently found in nature. This balance, rooted in the calculation of the water footprint, takes into account various factors: from water footprint. water footprint trade, local water scarcity, social impact, economic, and environmental concerns. Initiatives under the “Water Positive” banner can encompass watershed restoration projects such as reforestation, groundwater recharge, wetland conservation, and river clean-ups. Additionally, companies can amplify their positive contribution by financing access to drinking water and sanitation for communities lacking such facilities. In areas grappling with water scarcity, the purification of seawater and wastewater emerges as an essential strategy to bolster water availability and quality.
Different associations may have varying perspectives in some details, but there is a consensus on certain themes such as net positive balances, water quality, watershed-level impacts, and a holistic understanding of both direct and indirect water usage. As the concept of being water positive develops, the introduction of standardized metrics and certification programs is expected to promote more sustainable water management practices.
The UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate promotes Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) to build resilience for businesses and communities against climate change impacts. NPWI is a business ambition to create positive impact on water availability, quality, and access in water-stressed regions where companies operate. It involves companies contributing more towards reducing water stress than their own water impacts in a region.
Key aspects of NPWI are it is quantifiable and aligned with scientific water targets across the 3 dimensions of water stress – availability, quality, access. It manifests through collective action in water-stressed basins where impact matters most. It is measured via short-term outputs and long-term outcomes.
In summary, NPWI is an ambitious framework promoted by the UN Global Compact CEO Water Mandate and adopted by leading companies to create net positive impact on water availability, quality and access in water-stressed regions through quantifiable goals and collective action.
Water positive definition
The concept of water positive can be defined as:
“Being Water Positive refers to a concept where an entity, such as a company, community, or individual, goes beyond simply conserving water and actively contributes to the sustainable management and restoration of water resources. This involves implementing practices and technologies that reduce water consumption, improve water quality, and enhance water availability. The goal of being water positive is to leave a positive impact on water ecosystems and ensure that more water is conserved and restored than is used or depleted.”.
As it can be observed from the definition, water positive aims to restore water resources, thus leaving a positive impact on the water ecosystems. The focus should be on the quality of purified water, not on the source. Desalination and water reuse are two processes that are currently used to achieve this goal and when they are implemented correctly and according to the international standards, they are certainly sustainable activities to mitigate water scarcity and climate change.
Both desalination and water reuse allow us to tap into previously unusable water sources, such as seawater and wastewater. The technologies have advanced remarkably in recent decades, becoming more energy efficient and cost effective. With proper planning and management, desalination and reuse can be part of a sustainable approach to ensuring water security in a water-stressed world. There are still environmental impacts to consider, but these can be mitigated through careful facility design, discharges management strategies, and integrating renewable energy. With continued innovation and commitment to sustainability, desalination and water reuse can be truly transformative in building resilience to drought and climate impacts on freshwater resources.
How to become Water Positive?
The corporations leading this initiative have focused on several avenues to become water positive, such as watershed restoration projects, including reforestation, groundwater recharge, non-revenue water reduction, wetland conservation, and rivers cleaning. Others have financed access to drinking water and sanitation for communities in need (SDG 6) or supported sustainable agriculture practices.
As can be seen from the definition, being water positive aims to restore water resources, thus leaving a positive impact on global water resources. Water purification offers a renewable and sustainable source of high-purity water, which will allow industries to plan their replenishment strategies effectively.
Two processes that will become great allies for these companies are desalination and water reuse, which will allow us to take advantage of previously unusable water sources, such as seawater and wastewater. These technologies have advanced significantly in recent decades, becoming more energy-efficient and cost-effective. With proper planning and management, desalination and reuse can be part of a sustainable approach to ensuring water security in a water-scarce world. While there are still environmental impacts to consider, these can be mitigated through careful facility design, discharge management strategies, and the integration of renewable energy. With continued innovation and commitment to sustainability, desalination and water reuse can be truly transformative in building resilience to drought and the impacts of climate change on freshwater resources.
Although companies today are focused on building resilience for their own operations and the communities and ecosystems in which they operate, the next step we must consider is one of the most significant environmental impacts to which we have not paid sufficient attention: the Water Footprint Trade. Just as we are currently concerned about having a positive impact in the basins where we operate, we must also take responsibility for the basins from which we import virtual water through the inputs produced in areas of high water stress.
By measuring the water footprint, depending on the standard used, companies can trace their water footprint and plan their strategy accordingly. The approach we are working on is reminiscent of the carbon credit market. However, instead of offsetting CO2 emissions, the system offsets the water footprint. It is vital to understand the distinctions between the two: while carbon offsetting deals with gases and is consistent regardless of where the gas is emitted, water offsetting influences myriad considerations. These include the water footprint, water footprint trade, local water scarcity, and the associated social, economic, and environmental implications.
While the model is still in full development, planned to be completed by the end of 2025, it could work as follows: A country that exports thousands of tons of water as virtual water in its products, including a significant amount of water from wells, a non-renewable resource, faces a challenge as this water does not return to the country. However, it is necessary to continue exporting to maintain a healthy economy. The initiative proposes that companies located in regions with high water availability, which have imported water-intensive products from such countries, offset their water footprint at the source. This is known as creating a positive impact. If they offset their water footprint in an area with excess resources, they would be limited to achieving water balance, without generating any significant social or economic impact.
Given the many advances in our society, much of our anthropogenic impact comes from the same technology that fueled our evolution. It is now imperative to harness this technology for the benefit of nature. As we continue to evolve, we must also commit to improving our planet.
Water Positive Think Tank
The Water Positive Think Tank (WPTT) is a diverse group of over 100 dedicated leaders from around the world, representing more than 20 different disciplines, working together in a transdisciplinary, inclusive, and consensus-driven approach. Motivated by a shared vision of a better world, the WPTT collaborates to share knowledge and strive to make a positive impact on global water resources, placing science at the forefront of the decision-making process.
The main task of the WPTT is to develop a framework that helps companies adjust their practices to the principles of Geolocation and Temporality, aiming to create a Positive Impact in the water basins where they operate, especially focusing on these areas and by doing so supporting SDG 6 implementation. Additionally, the framework examines situations where the environmental impact on water resources occurs in far-off areas with high water stress, separate from where the company operates. This is important for many businesses that work in regions with a high demand for water, but most of their water footprint comes from places facing water shortages.
The WPTT’s mission is to propose complementary methods to those currently in use, emphasizing water purification through non-conventional water resources. By doing so, they aim to provide a renewable and sustainable water source that offers an unlimited, climate-independent alternative to all stakeholders. Although this work is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to corporate water replenishment decisions, the WPTT firmly believes that it will augment existing guidance documents and resources, empowering leaders in this field to expand the range of possibilities and accelerate the achievement of committed outcomes.
Like the corporations that have embarked on this journey, the WPTT acknowledges that the learning process is continuous and that there is still much to discover and share. As outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 17, “Partnerships for the goals,” the WPTT is committed to standing alongside those who require assistance in achieving a positive impact on water resources across three dimensions: availability (quantity), quality, and access.
The WPTT eagerly anticipates sharing updates as they refine their strategy and expand their project portfolio. Their contribution, firmly grounded in science and technology, is inspired by the actions taken by the corporations spearheading this initiative and the clarion call from the CEO Water Mandate of the United Nations Global Compact and its Water Resilience Coalition for companies to embark on the Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) journey.
Target Audiences
- CEOs, Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs), and other sustainability managers in the private sector
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other implementers of water-related projects
- Startups and innovative companies developing water-related solutions
- Public officials involved in the development of water-related public policies
Promoting a Global Alliance of Associations for Industrial Water Footprint Compensation
Initiating and strengthening a worldwide network of organizations focused on water resources, with the key objective of neutralizing the industrial water footprint, which accounts for approximately 90% of global water consumption. This alliance, conceived as an SDG 17 partnership, will commit to promoting and adopting Water Positive practices through the use of unconventional water resources, which are the only source capable of producing the volume of water needed to offset the industry’s footprint and tackle water scarcity in water-stressed basins. While savings and efficiency have made significant progress in recent years, It is clear that a much larger quantity of fresh water needs to be generated to meet existing and growing demands. This network will facilitate effective collaboration, the exchange of knowledge, regulations, and advanced technologies, and the implementation of coordinated strategies to significantly reduce the industrial water footprint, marking a significant step in water resource management through what we like to call the second membrane revolution after its discovery.
From the WPTT, we look forward to collaborating with all corporations committed to this initiative, alongside non-governmental organizations (NGOs) related to water, energy, and food, as well as universities, so that by 2050, we find ourselves in a better situation than what we have been forecasting based on current water resource trends.
Our Purpose
Our team of over 100 dedicated leaders from around the world, representing more than 20 different disciplines, works together in a transdisciplinary, inclusive, and consensus-driven approach, placing science at the forefront of our decision-making process. Motivated by a shared vision of a better world, we collaborate to share our knowledge and strive to make a positive impact on global water resources. Our contribution, firmly grounded in science and technology, is inspired by the actions taken by the corporations spearheading this initiative and the clarion call from the CEO Water Mandate of the United Nations Global Compact and its Water Resilience Coalition for companies to embark on the Net Positive Water Impact (NPWI) journey.
Our mission is to propose complementary methods to those currently in use, emphasizing water purification through non-conventional water resources. By doing so, we aim to provide a renewable and sustainable water source that offers an unlimited, climate-independent alternative to all stakeholders. Although this work is not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to corporate water replenishment decisions, we firmly believe that it will augment existing guidance documents and resources, empowering leaders in this field to expand the range of possibilities and accelerate the achievement of committed outcomes.
Like the corporations that have embarked on this journey, we acknowledge that our learning process is continuous and that there is still much to discover and share. As outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 17, “Partnerships for the goals,” we are committed to standing alongside those who require assistance in achieving a positive impact on water resources across three dimensions: availability (quantity), quality, and access.
We eagerly anticipate sharing updates as we refine our strategy and expand our project portfolio.
Daniele Strongone
Walid Khoury
Björn Otto
Carlos Foxley
Javier Romero
Tracey Nolan-Shaw
Andrew Walker
Nicolás Ibieta Illanes
Marcio Da Silva
Eduardo Pedroza
Juan Pablo Camezzana
Luiz Fernado Bezerra
Elena de la Vieja
Abraham Negaresh
Eduardo Orteu
Hugo Lecaros
Henry Charabe
Marc Blanchet
Borja Blanco
Graciela Chichilnisky
Guillem Gilabert Oriol
Gisel Booman
Marta Oteguie
David Gonzalez
Victor Monsalvo
Guillaume Clairet
Mazen Ellabban
Paula Pérez Sánchez
Nick Nelson
Jorge Juan Malfeito
Giancarlo Barassi
Georg Helborg
Joan Galtes
Patricia Terrero
Antonella Maggioni
Pablo Ruiz Molina
Antonella De Luca
Mariela Cuartucci
Mo Malki
Ale Sturniolo
Jochen Kallenberg
Ana Lopez
Miguel Sanz
Mike Dixon
Troy Green
Juan Buceta
Rebekkah Swisher
Mohamed Ibrahim
Gabriel Blejman
Jon Beristain
Ale Roman
Silvio Oliva
Devesh Bharadwaj
Manuel Rubio
Jerry Ross
Esther Gonzalez
Fernando Saroglia
Manuel de la Mata
Eva Jalon
Pablo Crespo
Maria Elena Rodriguez Hernandez
Graciela Chichilisnky
Domingo Zarzo
Miriam Brusilovsky
Will Sarni
Tom Freyberg
Juan Miguel Pinto
Jose Manuel Pano