Water

The water used for producing, processing and bringing products to market, and diluting the pollution they cause, is of huge, but often unrecognized, importance to the global economy and the resilience of global supply chains. This dependence is increasingly precarious. As more water bodies retreat and aquifers decline, the health and well-being of the global population will be affected, while multiple economic sectors and supply chains run the risk of recurring disruption. 

Yet the link between trade and water use is seldom sufficiently reflected in policy, legislation or corporate supply-chain decisions. The hidden water dependencies embedded in trade and production systems mean that water impacts are often all but invisible to markets, a problem that further encourages unsustainable water use.