DEG and WWF launch Water Risk Filter 5.0

Identifying, assessing and responding to water-related corporate risks

The Water Risk Filter developed by environmental NGO WWF and the development finance institution, DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, has received a major upgrade. Companies and investors worldwide can use this online tool to quickly and easily determine their water-related risks. The Water Risk Filter 5.0 additionally enables them to assess these risks and react appropriately. The new version reflects experiences gathered since implementation of the tool in 2012. More than 3,000 users, including companies such as H&M, Edeka and Danone, have already used it.

An online tool that allows quick reaction to water-related risks is more important than ever: Across the globe, around 1.8 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. Climate change, population growth and increasing living standards contribute to the rising pressure on the existing and already scarce water resources, particularly in developing countries.

Additional applications thanks to extended data base

The Water Risk Filter can be used worldwide, and incorporates sectoral and regionally specific information from 235 countries and areas, for which interactive maps and case studies are provided. The new version includes even more and improved water data than the previous versions. Local data sets for Brazil, Colombia and the Mekong regions, just to name a few, have been added. Climate change projection data has also been added, as well as data on existing water conflicts, which are regularly updated.

Contribution to sustainable use of water resources

“Water availability is one of the most underrated challenges faced by companies we finance. With the extensively upgraded Water Risk Filter we, together with our partner WWF, have developed a tool that identifies risks for private sector companies, and at the same time offers them support in water management issues," says Martin Geiger, Head of Sustainability at DEG.

“Droughts, floods, pollution or poor management - water has a great impact on our development. The Water Risk Filter was developed so that companies are able to understand the challenges on the ground and thus are ready to act,” says Ariane Laporte-Bisquit, WWF Germany.

The Water Risk Filter provides a number of practical approaches to reducing the identified risks more effectively. A Peruvian asparagus producer, financed by DEG, received the “Alliance for Water Stewardship” certification for its sustainable water management. It is the first international standard measuring responsible use of freshwater that is socially, economically and environmentally beneficial.