Baseline Water Stress, Global

Baseline water stress measures total annual water withdrawals (municipal, industrial, and agricultural) expressed as a percent of the total annual available flow. Higher values indicate more competition among users. Arid areas with low water use are shown in gray, but scored as high stress when calculating aggregated scores.

Water withdrawals divided by mean available blue water (1950-2010). Areas with available blue water and water withdrawal less than 0.03 and 0.012m/m2 respectively are coded as "arid and low water use".

Awareness around the physical, regulatory, and reputational water risks to companies and their investors is on the rise and robust, comparable and comprehensive data is needed to help assess these water-related risks. In response to this demand, the World Resources Institute developed the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, including 12 global indicators and maps of water-related risk. Companies can use this information to prioritize actions, investors to leverage financial interest to improve water management, and governments to engage with the private sector to seek solutions for more equitable and sustainable water governance.

The Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas makes use of a framework of 12 global indicators grouped into three categories of risk and one overall score. Aqueduct Global Maps 2.1 include indicators of water quantity, water variability, water quality, public awareness of water issues, access to water, and ecosystem vulnerability. The data used for the study were developed in consultation with experts and are publicly available. The details of the data, sources, and methodology are provided in the Aqueduct Global Maps 2.1 metadata document available online at http://wri.org/publication/aqueduct-metadata-global-21 .