Water stewardship

Water stewardship is the use of water that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder inclusive process that operates at the scale of the river catchment. The underlying idea is that no company can manage water well in isolation: water is a shared resource, and risks and impacts occur at catchment level, not at the factory gate.

This concept goes beyond simple water efficiency. Cutting consumption inside facilities is necessary but not sufficient: water stewardship also requires understanding the catchment, collaborating with other users, protecting aquatic ecosystems and contributing to the water governance of the territory.

The AWS standard

The reference framework is the International Water Stewardship Standard from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), a global alliance that defines the principles and requirements an organisation must meet to demonstrate responsible water management at a site. In March 2026, AWS launched version 3.0 of the standard, which streamlines requirements for cost effective implementation at scale and strengthens its integration with corporate sustainability reporting frameworks.

The standard organises action around five outcomes: good water governance, sustainable water balance, good water quality status, healthy freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity, and safe water, sanitation and hygiene for all. Implementation follows a five step cycle: gather and understand, commit and plan, implement, evaluate, and communicate and disclose. Certification is carried out per site and on the basis of a catchment analysis.

Stewardship versus water footprint

The water footprint measures how much water is used and where; water stewardship is the management response to that measurement. A company first quantifies its footprint and its water risk, and then applies stewardship to reduce that risk collaboratively. The two concepts complement each other: without data there is no credible stewardship, and without stewardship the data does not turn into action.

Link with ESG reporting

Water stewardship is increasingly tied to corporate disclosure. Initiatives such as CDP Water Disclosure ask companies to report how they manage water in stressed areas, and many adopt commitments such as water neutrality or catchment replenishment. Demonstrating water stewardship strengthens the water security of operations and credibility with investors and regulators.

How to get started

Implementing water stewardship usually follows these steps: understand the catchment and shared risks, measure the water footprint of the site, set targets consistent with the local context, collaborate with other users and authorities, and report results transparently.

The business case is straightforward: stewardship lowers the operational and reputational risk tied to water availability, reinforces the social licence to operate in water stressed territories and eases access to markets and financing that require solid environmental credentials. In sectors such as agrifood, beverages, textiles or energy, where water is a critical input, good stewardship can be the difference between a resilient operation and an exposed one.

Measure and manage your water with Manglai

Water stewardship starts with understanding your real water impact. With Manglai's water footprint module you can measure consumption site by site and prioritise where to act across your value chain.