What is Water Stewardship?

Water stewardship is the use of water that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive process that includes both site-specific and catchment-based actions. Good water stewards recognise the need for collective responses to the complex challenges facing the water resources we all rely on.

Water stewardship goes beyond water efficiency, fostering collaboration to improve how your business manages its water resources. By securing your water supply without impacting others, you can reduce the risk of water scarcity in your operations.

The fundamentals of water stewardship include consideration of issues such as:

• Water use and management
• Security of water source and disposal options
• Identifying and managing wastewater disposal options
• Working within the constraints of your catchment for long-term success
• Stakeholder consultation and collaboration
• Understanding the impacts of climate change on water resources and management
• Cost control and optimisation
• Risk assessment and management
• Water banking, rain farming, sustainable solutions for all

Cress Consulting plays a pivotal role in guiding businesses through this process, helping to build the knowledge and understanding needed for effective water management.

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How does Water Stewardship Help Your Business?

A water stewardship program helps your business identify and manage water risks that could impact your operations or ability to operate. Cress can assist your business to conduct a water risk assessment to assess and prioritise water risks. Risks that impact quality, quantity and the cost of available water are increasing around the world as a consequence of the water crisis and are being amplified by climate change. Addressing water risks is increasingly important to reduce financial and reputational pressure and ensure businesses are acting responsibly. Using a water stewardship framework allows any water user, anywhere in the world to demonstrate their commitment to addressing the global water crisis.

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What are the Benefits of water stewardship?

A water stewardship approach can create multiple benefits, including the following:

• Increased efficiency, potentially creating financial savings.
• Mitigation of identified existing and potential risks at a site and catchment level.
• Empowers the site to engage catchment stakeholders to address shared water challenges, strengthening stakeholder relationships and building community trust.
• Improved local water quality and availability benefiting the site, its community and the environment.
• Credible demonstration of your commitment to sustainable water management.
• Protecting socially and culturally important water-related areas.
• Providing a common framework to understand water risk across the company.
• Making credible, independently verifiable sustainable water management claims via third-party certification.
• Generate useful information for disclosure mechanisms including the CDP and for investors.
• Demonstration of action on SDG 6: Ensuring the availability and sustainable management of clean water and sanitation for all.

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Why Should Businesses Consider Water Stewardship?

Companies with a good understanding of the importance of water to their business and an appreciation of the water risks that threaten ongoing production and business viability are better equipped to safeguard their operations and ensure long-term sustainability. Water stewardship provides a set of globally applicable tools for sustainable water management while contributing to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of shared water catchments, alongside other industries, business, communities and the environment.

Cress Consulting is a specialist provider of sustainability services and are experienced water stewardship practitioners offering consulting services. Cress understands how water risk can impact business operations and supply chains and its social licence to operate. We can help you determine the next step in securing the future water supply to improve the resilience of your operation or business.

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Why You Should Contact Cress

Cress Consulting is a leading specialist in sustainability services, with extensive experience as a credentialed water stewardship expert. Our team offers a comprehensive range of consulting, training, and auditing services to help businesses navigate the complexities of water management. Cress Consulting understands the critical impact water risk can have on business operations, supply chains, and a company’s social licence to operate. We work closely with you to identify vulnerabilities and determine the best steps to secure your future water supply, enhancing the resilience of your operation.

By leveraging our expertise, you can confidently address water-related challenges and ensure long-term sustainability for your business.