BEIJING, China, August 19, 2011 -- To help map out areas facing water shortages the World Resources Initiative (WRI) has launched a consortium called Aqueduct Alliance, which has been initially focusing on China.

Backed by the Dow Chemical Company, GE, the Coca-Cola company and others, the collaboration will make a global database available to the public that details water risk information to help create a series of water risk maps.

The maps will combine hydrological information with geographically-specific indicators that capture social, economic and governance factors that affect companies and economies.

A working prototype of the database and risk mapping tool have already been rolled out in northern China, covering the Yellow River Basin (see Water & Wastewater International article: Restoring Life to the Yellow River).

Four more areas will then follow, including the Colorado river in the US, the Yangtze in China, and Orange-Senqu basin in southern Africa and the Murray-Darling basin in Australia.

The aim of the alliance is to provide the database of water risk information for water-stressed locations around the world.

Kirsty Jenkinson, director of WRI’s markets and enterprise program, said: “Businesses and governments are increasingly concerned with water-related risks, which can negatively impact profitability and continued economic growth. Aqueduct will provide accurate, high quality information together with a platform for businesses and governments to address water risks beyond physical water scarcity, including regulatory and socioeconomic risks.”

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