Water Risk

Description

The Aqueduct Water Risk Indicator, developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI), evaluates threats such as floods, droughts, and water stress using open and validated data. It is produced in collaboration with companies and governments to promote sustainable water management practices, address climate challenges, and support growth in a world of limited water resources.

What it measures

• Physical risk (quantity): risk from too little or too much water, including stress, depletion, variability, floods, and droughts.
• Quality risk: risk of water being unsuitable for use, considering untreated wastewater, eutrophication potential, and pollution.
• Regulatory and reputational risk: risks linked to governance, regulation, and social license to operate.

How to interpret

• Values range from 0 to 5, where higher values indicate higher water risk.
• Classification:
  • Low [0–1]
  • Low–Medium [1–2]
  • Medium–High [2–3]
  • High [3–4]
  • Extremely High [4–5]

Unit / Scale

Index (0 to 5, following WRI Aqueduct classification).

Author / Source

World Resources Institute (2019)
— Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, Aqueduct Global Maps 4.0 Data.
🔗 https://www.wri.org/aqueduct

Applications in Atlas

• Identify conservation projects or natural reserves exposed to current or future water risk.
• Integrate water security into sustainability and resilience assessments.
• Compare areas and prioritise management or conservation strategies.