AWARE (Available Water Remaining)

AWARE is a characterisation method for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that adjusts the impact of water consumption based on the remaining water available in the local watershed. It was developed by the UNEP-SETAC WULCA working group and adopted by the European Commission for the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF).

How it is calculated

• Local water availability (ml): renewable water minus ecosystem water requirements.
• Global average availability (mw): global reference value.

AWARE factor = mw / ml

This factor is multiplied by the volume of consumed water (m³) in each life-cycle stage.

Interpretation

• AWARE factor < 1
  • Relative scarcity: Low
  • Example basin: Amazon
• AWARE factor 1–10
  • Relative scarcity: Moderate
  • Example basin: Rhône
• AWARE factor 10–25
  • Relative scarcity: High
  • Example basin: Segura
• AWARE factor > 25
  • Relative scarcity: Very high
  • Example basin: Murray–Darling

Advantages over other indicators

• Global coverage at 30 arc-seconds resolution.
• Incorporates minimum ecological flow requirements to preserve biodiversity.
• Compatible with ISO 14046 and PEF.

Business applications

• Prioritisation of water-replenishment or water-offsetting projects.
• Designing products with lower impact in high-stress basins.
• Reporting to CDP Water using context-based water metrics.

AWARE provides a contextual view of water use, enabling action where the impact is truly critical.