Weighing water risks

Dr Alex Money says that companies need to do more than just reduce consumption to address water risk, in a CurrentCast interview, broadcast to 20+ radio stations throughout the United States.

When water risk first appeared in corporate reports, the focus was on reducing consumption. But Alex Money, a Research Fellow at the Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment, says this is a relative concept. “Using a litre of water in Canada is very different from using a litre of water in the Sahara”, he said.

Money believes that companies – especially those expanding into new markets – need to analyse water risk differently. “Getting water from where it is to where people are is the big challenge in terms of water security.”

Money suggests companies focus on their supply chains and local infrastructure. By looking at how to deliver water to new markets in a way that is equitable with other competing uses, companies can better analyse risk and help address global water access.

Listen to the 1 minute CurrentCast podcast

Related links

• ‘Counting Each Drop: Corporate Concern Mounts About Water Supplies’ article in the New York Times, with comment by Alex Money.
• ‘Measuring what you manage: corporate water risk’ podcast of Alex Money speaking at an Oxford Water Network seminar in November 2013
• List of journal articles about corporate water risk by Alex Money