The “WatAs” project for Integrative Water Assessment is concerned with indicator-assisted ways to conduct water assessment. Due to data limitations, key water indicators are currently insufficient to ensure sustainable water management. In response to climate change, competing water usage claims, rising water demand, and the need to safeguard ecosystems and water resources, there is an increased need for more data on water supply, consumption, and quality.
The “WatAs” project aims to establish a meaningful water accounting system to support sustainable water-related decision-making processes in organisations through the development of multi-perspective and prognostic water assessment methods. A number of case studies examine and evaluate indicator models from a sociological, ecological, and economic perspective in order to account for the value of water for various user groups and the environment.
The individual sub-projects will develop, respectively, a water footprint approach, combining ecological assessment methods towards a multi-criteria water assessment model (TP1), examine water-related impacts of (post-)mining operations in South Africa and Germany using a Full Cost Accounting strategy (TP2), and explore water supply analyses currently conducted in the context of the Thuringian low-water strategy (Thüringer Niedrigwasserstrategie) (TP3).
The indicators are intended to be useful for assessing the sustainability of water management practices for municipalities, businesses, products, and activities like mining operations from an organizational, regulatory, and political standpoint.
