Water, water, everywhere... Foot prints! Gimme a break!

See critical update below.

Click on picture to enlarge.

Note: When it comes to water...the quantity of water in the entire world is constant...never more, never less! Mother Nature just moves it around from one location to another (Let me see the UN change that!. Whoops, I don't want to give them any ideas!) - Norman E. Hooben

That glass of beer took more water to make than you think

Ever wondered how much water it takes to produce the cup of coffee in your hand or the cotton shirt you’re wearing? Arjen Hoekstra has. And if the Dutch scientist has his way, more and more people will know the answers to those questions.

Hoekstra is one of the scientists behind the concept of the water footprint—not the tracks you leave on the floor when getting out of the shower but the amount of water required to produce all the goods and services you consume. Like the better-known carbon footprint, the water footprint seeks to measure, and make people more aware of, the impact of their consumption on the planet. Read more here (link)

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Why a Water Footprint Network?

The interest in the concept of the water footprint and the accompanying methods and tools is overwhelming. This interest is rooted in the recognition that human impacts on freshwater systems can ultimately be linked to human consumption and that issues like water shortages and pollution can be better understood and addressed by considering production and supply chains as a whole. It is increasingly acknowledged that local water depletion and pollution are often closely tied to the structure of the global economy. Many countries have significantly externalised their water footprint, importing water-intensive goods from elsewhere. This puts pressure on the water resources in the exporting regions, where too often mechanisms for wise water governance and conservation are lacking. Not only governments acknowledge their role in achieving a better management of water resources, also businesses and public-service organisations increasingly recognize their role in the interplay of actors involved in water use and management.
The basis for the water footprint concept and methodology has been laid by prof. Arjen Hoekstra at UNESCO-IHE and further developed at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. The concept and methods have been firmly established in scientific literature. By today, tens of institutions and thousands of individuals have expressed interest in further developing and/or applying the water footprint methodology. The interest focuses on questions such as: How to implement proper water footprint accounting in the context of my country or organisation? How to identify the spots where water footprints have the largest impact? How to reduce and possibly offset those impacts?

A big gap has grown between the demand for support in application and implementation and the capacity to supply this support. Besides, there is a need to bring together in a structural way developers of methods and tools and institutions that seek application. In order to coordinate efforts to further develop and disseminate knowledge on water footprint concepts, methods and tools, a number of institutions have taken the initiative to establish a Water Footprint Network. Unique to the network is that it brings together partners from diverse origins: knowledge institutions, non-governmental sector, private sector, governments and UN.

Mission

The mission of the Water Footprint Network is to promote the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of fresh water resources worldwide by:

advancing the concept of the ‘water footprint’, a spatially and temporally explicit indicator of direct and indirect water use of consumers and producers; increasing the water footprint awareness of communities, government bodies and businesses and their understanding of how consumption of goods and services and production chains relate to water use and impacts on fresh-water systems; and encouraging forms of water governance that reduce the negative ecological and social impacts of the water footprints of communities, countries and businesses.

Activities

The Water Footprint Network undertakes the following concrete activities:

1. developing standards (methods, guidelines, criteria) for water footprint accounting, water footprint impact assessment and the reduction and offsetting of the negative impacts of water footprints;
developing practical tools to support people and organisations interested in water footprint accounting, impact assessment and water footprint reduction and offsetting;providing for, or arranging for third parties to provide for, meetings, publications, education, research and development with regard to the water footprint concept;
promoting the exchange, communication and dissemination of knowledge about water footprint;supporting government bodies, international institutions, non-governmental organizations, businesses and other organizations in implementing water footprint accounting and developing a sustainable and fair water policy; and providing advice on the application of the water footprint and by checking and certifying the use of the water footprint.
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Critical Update February 2015Source: The infamous United Nations

2015 UN-Water Annual International Zaragoza Conference. Water and Sustainable Development: From Vision to Action. 15-17 January 2015

Side event. Water Footprint Assessment in support of sustainable development

Date: 14 January 2015
Time: 15:00-17:00
Location: Etopía. Avda. Ciudad de Soria, 8. 50010 Zaragoza
Convener: the Water Footprint Network

Side Event to 2015 UN-Water International Conference convened by Water Footprint Network
Rapid economic development, growing populations and climate change effects on the water cycle are placing greater stress on fresh water and threaten the sustainability nature and human life globally. Considering the growing multiple water demands, ensuring sustainable, efficient and equitable water use is more than ever a challenge. New tools and methods are therefore required to inspire, inform and broaden cooperation in river basins, across sectors and between countries. Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) provides a common language which builds a shared understanding for informed decision making and strategic action at local, regional and global scales. WFA opens up new insight and contributes to successful action.
This seminar convened by Water Footprint Network will focus on how WFA contributes to sustainable development through fair allocation at local, regional and global scales; how it stimulates IWRM and reduction in water scarcity and pollution through integrated regulations; and how companies can support meeting social, economic and environmental goals engagement in water stewardship. Speakers from government, business, academia and NGOs will present the latest WFA applications which demonstrate how WFA is a tool for sustainable development. This will be followed by a lively discussion on using WFA in multi-sectoral engagement in meeting the SDGs.

Programme
Facing the world’s water crisis: how Water Footprint Assessment can help us achieve sustainable development goals
Keynote: Ruth Mathews, Executive Director, Water Footprint Network
Addressing fair allocation of fresh water resources locally and globally
Arjen Hoekstra, University of Twente
Reducing water scarcity and water pollution through integrated regulatory reform
Giuseppe Frapporti, UK Environment Agency
Reaching social, economic and environmental development goals through private sector engagement
Michael Spencer, Water Stewardship Initiative
Corporate water sustainability through Water Footprint Assessment
Maria José Amores and Antonio Carretero, CETAQUA-AENOR
Cross-Sector Panel discussion
Moderated by: Ruth Mathews, Executive Director Water Footprint Network
Panel includes speakers and representatives from: government, business, academia, civil society:
Alberto Garrido, CEIGRAM & Botin Foundation
Lesha Witmer, World Wide Fund for Nature
Bimal Arora, Centre for Responsible Business (tbc)
Giuseppe Frapporti, UK Environment Agency
Arjen Hoekstra, University of Twente
Michael Spencer, Water Stewardship Initiative