Water Stewardship getting started
Countries forecast with the highest water stress in the coming years are also amongst those with the greatest tourism growth, putting hotel companies at the forefront of current and future water challenges. The following steps are strategic management practices and actions that hotels can take to embed water stewardship programmes across their portfolios:
Step one - Understand your relationship with water
- Quantify your current and future water use
- Identify its sources, impact and dependencies
- Share information through reporting and engagement with local stakeholders
The following resources will help companies and properties take their first steps towards understanding their water use.
Step two - Set targets and create a plan of action
- Prioritise areas where the best impact can be made.
- Define long-term targets based in science and local contexts.
- Set indicators for progress with trackable metrics and transparent performance indicators that each property can report against.
The following resources will help companies and properties to understand the water scarcity risks they are exposed to, which markets are most affected, and how to set thorough water stewardship policies.
Step three - Manage water sustainably in your operations
- Identify water efficiencies at property level
- Ensure adequate wastewater treatment
- Reduce your pressure on freshwater resources by recycling water
- Involve your staff and guests to support your water stewardship measures.
These resources will help companies and properties deliver on their water stewardship policies and targets. This includes step by step guidance to implement a thorough approach on the issue as well as tools and methodologies for properties.
Step four - Work with suppliers on water
- Analyse products and services of highest spending.
- Engage with suppliers on their water stewardship to better identify and address your indirect impacts on water in basins where they are operating.
This resource offers guidance on working with your suppliers to create a more joined up approach to water stewardship in your hotel properties.
Step five - Build resilience to extreme events and water shortages
A water stewardship strategy should include procedures and provisions to:
- provide immediate relief effort
- address recovery needs
- help mitigate against future occurrences of extreme weather events
Properties should focus on:
- improving their resilience to floods
- managing their freshwater supply
- protecting local communities in a disaster
Step six - Collaborate on sustainable water management
Any hotel operating in a catchment can potentially impact on the quality of water and on other water users.
- Understand the local water risks and opportunities
- Engage with existing water initiatives
- Share information with the public sector and other water users
- Support access to clean water sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
See our work
View our priority areas of action for the hospitality industry to collaborate to make the most impact.
View all our resources
We have range of free tools, research and resources to enable every hotel to manage their environmental impact and social responsibility.
