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Environmental Research Digest – April 2012

Summary

Veolia Water has unveiled the Water Impact Index, the first indicator enabling a comprehensive assessment of the impact of human activity on water resources. The paper shares details on this new index, along with a company study believed to be the first-ever simultaneous analysis of water and carbon on a major metropolitan area’s water cycle.

Key Findings

• The challenge – for cities, governments and companies – is to find solutions that make a minimum impact on the environment not only in terms of water resources but also when it comes to energy use while maintaining and promoting economic growth.
• Rapid development is putting a strain on cities, particularly their water resources.
• Those communities that have not addressed their infrastructure needs will face huge wake-up calls that will challenge their political and economic stability.
• Today’s economic downturn only exacerbates the problem in budget-constrained cities and towns.
• Veolia Water’s Water Impact Index and water-carbon analysis are important steps in a broader dialogue about water, energy and the environment.
• As the need for environmental efficiency and resource management intensifies, organizations and communities will be able to use these tools to determine business practices (locations, operations, technologies, etc.) that create the minimum environmental impact and pose reduced risks to water and air.
• When communities optimize their water and wastewater systems through technical and operational solutions, the benefits in service improvements, environmental impacts and cost savings for the public can be immediately realized.
• They also provide a framework for economic growth and prosperity.

Author(s)

Veolia Water

Source

PDF report

Tags: Carbon-Water Analysis, Veolia Water, Water Impact Index, water resources