Climate resilience study shows safe water enterprises are climate change-proof

Climate change poses significant risks for water supply in the upcoming decades. To assess the climate resilience of safe water enterprises (SWE), Dalberg, on behalf of Danone Communities, Aqua for All, Osprey Foundation, The Stone Family Foundation and Vox Impuls, conducted a four-month study. It demonstrated that, over the next ten years, climate change will negatively impact the water supply for approximately 5.1 billion people, with water quality and affordability most at risk.

However, the SWE model appears to be climate-resilient and can guarantee a stable water supply in most regions of the world. The study showed that SWEs already have resilience strategies in place allowing them to adapt to the changing weather patterns. These strategies are reinforced by their key differentiating characteristics – decentralised operations, flexibility in response to stress events and less capital-intensive production – making them highly adaptive and cost-effective.

The report also offers recommendations for key stakeholders on how to respond to climate-posed challenges. It is based on data from more than twenty databases related to climate, water, social, demographic, economic, and legal-institutional factors, as well as information from seven leading SWEs. The full version of the document as well as other relevant reports can be accessed here.

In 2017, Aqua for All established a donor community comprising Stone Family Foundation, Danone Communities, Osprey Foundation Vox Impuls. It supports the SWE Community of Practice, in which at least 25 SWE venture operators share their experiences.