We hear from Lewis Ryder-Jones, Advocacy Manager at Water Witness, on the impact of water injustice globally.
Efforts to improve access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene remain central to international development. But water injustice is shaped by more than (lack of) service provision alone. The way water is used in global trade is an increasingly important driver of risk. Progress on poverty reduction, climate adaptation and sustainable livelihoods can be undermined if the water risks embedded in supply chains are overlooked.
In a country like the UK, nearly three-quarters of the total “water footprint” of the goods we consume lies beyond our borders.
Everyday consumption of food, clothes and technology depends heavily on water resources elsewhere. And often, this hidden water footprint links our consumption to water scarcity, pollution and inequality in producing regions around the world.
Where water use is poorly managed or unfairly allocated, the consequences can be severe, particularly in places where climate change drives intensifying weather patterns. Over-abstraction and pollution can undermine livelihoods, degrade ecosystems and leave communities without reliable access to safe water.
High value agriculture often illustrates these pressures. In Peru’s Ica Valley, large-scale irrigation has supported rapid growth in crops such as blueberries and avocados destined for European markets. However, falling groundwater levels and deteriorating water quality are creating risks for local communities and threatening the long-term viability of production.
Mining presents another challenge. The extraction of critical minerals, essential for technologies ranging from smartphones to electric vehicles, can contaminate waterways on an industrial scale. In Zambia last year, an acid spill from a copper mine polluted the Kafue River and forced the shutdown of the water supply to the city of Kitwe, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
Global economic activity is increasingly shaped by water risk
These examples are not isolated incidents. Recent UN analysis warns that parts of the world are moving towards “water bankruptcy”, where demand exceeds reliable supply. Governments are also recognising that water insecurity can contribute to economic instability and wider security concerns.
At the same time, water-intensive sectors play an important role in supporting employment and development. The challenge is therefore not simply to reduce water use, but to ensure that it is managed fairly and sustainably.
Fair water footprint
This is the idea behind a fair water footprint which ensures water users protect shared water resources, respect the rights to safe water and sanitation and support communities facing droughts and floods. Critically, this means that those who profit most from water use in supply chains take responsibility for managing risk and sharing benefits.
But this doesn’t happen by accident. Stronger expectations on corporate responsibility are essential. That’s why Water Witness has launched a public campaign calling on decision makers to back a robust UK Business, Human Rights and Environment Act. This would require companies to identify, prevent and address environmental and human rights harms in their supply chains, including those linked to water use and access. That would level the playing field and make responsible water stewardship a baseline expectation.
As water risks intensify globally, ensuring that supply chains support, rather than undermine, equitable and sustainable access to water is becoming ever more urgent.
No one wants their weekly shop, new outfit or phone upgrade to contribute to someone else going without safe water. No one wants rising prices, disrupted livelihoods or supply shocks driven by water mismanagement.
Let’s demand a fair water footprint.
You can learn more about the campaign and add your voice at
www.waterwitness.org/act-now.