Water Security

Water security is the capacity of a society to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable-quality water for human well-being, economic activity and ecosystems, while managing water-related risks such as droughts, floods and pollution. The widely used working definition comes from UN-Water, which frames water security around livelihoods, socio-economic development, protection from water-related disasters and the preservation of ecosystems.

Dimensions of water security

• Availability: enough water, accessible where and when it is needed.
• Quality: water fit for its intended human and ecological uses.
• Protection against risks: resilience to droughts, floods and contamination.
• Healthy ecosystems: maintaining environmental flows and the natural systems that store and purify water.

How water security is assessed

Water security is multidimensional, so it is usually measured with composite indicators rather than a single number. Common building blocks include:

• Access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation, the focus of SDG 6.
• Water availability per person, often expressed as renewable water resources per capita, a proxy used to flag scarcity.
• Exposure to water-related hazards such as droughts and floods, and the capacity to absorb them.

Tools such as the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas (WRI) map physical water risk across regions and help governments and companies prioritise action.

Why it matters

Water underpins agriculture, energy, industry and public health, so weak water security translates into economic and social risk. The Global Commission on the Economics of Water (2024) estimated that, without stronger action, water-related disruption could reduce GDP by an average of around 8% by 2050, and by up to 15% in lower-income countries. Strengthening water security is therefore central to climate adaptation and to sustainable development more broadly.

Governance and tools

• River basin management: in the EU, the Water Framework Directive requires basin plans based on ecological status and risk.
• National adaptation plans increasingly include a dedicated water component to address droughts and floods.
• Efficiency and digitalisation: leak detection, reuse and smarter networks reduce losses and stretch available supply.

Relationship with other concepts

Strengthening water security means reducing water vulnerability and progressing toward corporate and municipal water neutrality. It is closely linked to water stress and water resilience.

At Manglai we help companies measure their water and carbon footprint and prepare their sustainability reporting. Discover how Manglai can help you.