Delta Life 8

DELTARES, OCTOBER 2017 23 'T here was a time when companies just didn’t worry about whether their own industrial production processes could affect the availability of clean water, but that’s a thing of the past. The rising global population and rapidly expanding industrial production are leading to constantly increasing pressure on our water supplies.’ Kimberly-Clark is a global leader in terms of the sustainability of production processes. ‘That is why we teamed up with the World Resources Institute to make a analysis of our water risks worldwide. The next question was what impact water scarcity has on our productivity and on local stakeholders. We asked Deltares to investigate this in a pilot project and to present the results in a dashboard.’ The pilot study is being conducted in two catchment areas – Aburra and part of the Cauca Valley in Colombia – where the group is active. ‘We have completed the first steps,’ explains Deltares researcher Sophie Vermooten, ‘by organising two well-attended workshops in Colombia for stakeholders from the area. There were lively discussions about the water risks that people see, and how the dashboard can help them to be better prepared and make the right decisions.’ Kimberly-Clark wants to use the information on a wide front. The information for inclusion in the dash­ board will be selected in collaboration with local stakeholders and it will be available for everyone. Local govern­ ments, farmers and local industries are given a picture of water availability over the next thirty years and they can take this into account in their plans for the future. KNOWLEDGE IN OPERATION Alliance between Deltares and industry produces innovative techniques and creates new market opportunities for business. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO A dashboard that maps out water-related risks and opportunities over a period of thirty years and that will be available to all stakeholders: it is being developed by Deltares on behalf of Kimberly-Clark, a manufacturer of personal hygiene products. The Cauca valley in the west of Colombia.