Water stewardship enables water users to work together to identify and achieve common goals for sustainable water management and shared water security.

In 2008, three organizations (The Nature Conservancy, The Pacific Institute and Water Stewardship Australia) came together to form the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS), whose mission was to promote water stewardship. Over time, these three organizations were joined by CDP, European Water Partnership, Water Environment Federation, Water Witness International, WWF, United Nations Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate and the United Nations Environment Programme to form a board. In 2009, AWS was formally launched as a legal entity, and by 2010 it had initiated the development of the first International Water Stewardship Standard (“AWS Standard”).

The AWS Standard (“the Standard”) is intended to drive water stewardship, which is defined as the use of water that is socially equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder-inclusive process that involves site and catchment based actions.

Globally companies are increasingly using AWS certification to manage reputational risk, improve relationships with customers, increase investor confidence, strengthen social license to operate, improve brand perception and dialogue with regulators and policy makers.

The Standard outlines a series of actions, criteria and indicators for how one should manage water at the site level and how water management should be stewarded beyond the boundaries of a site.

The AWS standard framework is built around five steps:

The AWS standard is aimed at achieving following water stewardship outcomes:

Many Sustainable committed companies and activities are currently looking into AWS certification as its implementation brings numerous demonstrable changes and benefits.

AWS Standard implementation is aimed to manage the water resource not only within the site premises, but also in the catchment area.

The AWS Standard implementation in the facility offers a credible, globally-applicable framework for a water user, to understand its own water use and impacts, and to work collaboratively and transparently with other local stakeholders for sustainable water management within the wider water catchment context.
Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard fosters a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interconnections and consequences tied to water usage.
Address operational and supply chain vulnerabilities related to water resources, reducing risks and enhancing resilience.

• Forge connections with local stakeholders, including businesses, communities, and NGOs, to collaboratively tackle water challenges.
• Share common difficulties and solutions with peers in your watershed, fostering a collective approach to water stewardship.
• Alliance for Water Stewardship Standard’s universality allows its application across diverse industries and geographic locations.
• Enhance water governance through policies and regulations plays a pivotal role in strengthening water stewardship practices.