Every drop matters
Water is an essential resource on which every aspect of life on earth depends, and yet fair, global access to water is not guaranteed. In fact, the UN reports that out of the 153 countries that share water resources across borders, only 24 of these have cooperation agreements in place for their shared water. This brings attention to the role of collaboration in achieving a water secure future, something this World Water Week highlights. We asked Ghinwa Chammas, BSI Director of Group Sustainability, what a water secure future means and how organizations can play a role in helping us get there.
How big of an issue is global water security?
Water is vital for the health of the planet and society’s health and stability. But water is a finite resource and whilst it may seem abundant on earth, the reality is under 3% is freshwater and most of this is locked in glaciers, polar ice caps, the atmosphere, and the soil. Only around 0.5% is actually considered accessible and, as demand for water increases, the actual volume of freshwater available to us remains static or reduces. In fact, globally the amount of renewable freshwater available per person has fallen by more than 50% since 1962, and by 2030 demand is expected to outstrip supply by 40%. This has the potential to have a significant impact, especially on vulnerable populations. Already, more than 2 billion people live in countries under water stress and 3.6 billion face inadequate access to water at least one month a year. So water security is a very important issue, and one society must collaborate on to ensure we can protect and share our global water resources.
What does a water secure future mean to you?
As I mentioned above, even the small amount of freshwater we have available is at risk of pollution and overextraction. Every drop really matters. Water insecurity can have overwhelmingly detrimental effects on the environment, on biodiversity and on people and wider society. Having been raised in the Middle East, I know all too well the precious nature of water and how difficult it can be to have access to clean water for essential daily needs. So, for me, a water secure future is one where we recognise water as the valuable shared resource that it is, and we collaborate to practice water stewardship and protect our water resources. It is a future where people all around the world have fair and equitable access to water for essential purposes such as hydration and hygiene, as well as for well-being purposes such as exercising and recreation.
What is the biggest threat to a water secure future?
There is no singular threat to water security, rather it comes from a combination of factors including population growth and economic development driving increasing demand for freshwater, climate change altering how our water systems function, and poor water management practices such as water being wasted or polluted. Another significant threat is awareness and understanding of water security as an issue, which is why BSI partnered with leading water NGO Waterwise on our campaign ‘Thirst for Change’. We believe water security is as important as climate change, and the two actually impact one another. So, the goal of the campaign – which we are updating for 2024 (so watch this space) - was to bring much needed urgent attention to water insecurity within the broader climate conversation, driving understanding and action.
What can organizations do to help achieve a water secure future?
Many things! First and foremost, organizations should recognise water security as a serious issue, and take action in their own operations. Organizations can do this by developing a water management plan in line with ISO14001, collecting data to monitor and report on their own water footprint, and setting goals and targets to reduce usage, wastage and leakage over time.
Organizations can also share best practice and lessons learned so we can all get smarter about saving water. Embrace innovation and share experiences so others might do the same.
Senior leaders can encourage a water saving culture inhouse and across their supply chains, and use their voice and influence to drive collaboration, understanding and positive action amongst their stakeholders.
Yes this is a global issue – but I believe change is possible.
Can you give some examples of the work BSI is doing to support water security?
Despite the fact we have a relatively small water footprint in our own operations, with water rated low in our materiality assessment, we take water very seriously and have plans within our Operational Sustainability Excellence Strategy to ensure we manage it as best we can.
The starting point for us is understanding the situation globally, what data we have, what challenges we face and what the opportunities for improvement are – whether these are efficiency measures and the use of alternative water sources like rainwater and greywater.
Within our Milton Keynes offices for example, water reduction and leak detection measures are already in place, with water pumps throughout the buildings connected to light sensors. When an area is not occupied, the water pumps in that area are disabled. If water keeps running, this is indicative of a leak which can be fixed promptly.
In our labs, each rig has its own specification and opportunities. Where specifications allow, rigs are designed to reuse water – for example for helmet spray testing, or the hot and cold pressure testing of pipes. This test can take months and the same water is captured and used in a closed cycle.
We have developed a checklist to assess whether properties we lease would help us achieve our net zero goals. Because we recognise that water and carbon are interlinked, the checklist also includes a water assessment, looking at what water efficiency measures are already in place and our ability as an occupier to introduce our own such measures.
In 2023 we began our partnership with Waterwise, a leading water NGO, on our campaign 'Thirst for Change' which aims to raise awareness on the global water security challenge. In 2024 we’re evolving this campaign to explore global water security solutions so keep an eye out for our latest research coming soon!