Water is the foundation of life on Earth – critical for the health and wellbeing of all living creatures and ecosystems. Water also underpins all human economic activity, from smallholder farms to major industries.
In the face of increasing climate crises, and acknowledging the human right to clean water, the expectations of investors, consumers and regulators are changing, and businesses can no longer afford to act alone to address water issues. Instead, these challenges require collective action – coordinated efforts across catchments, sectors and borders to manage water resources sustainably and equitably.
Collective action is at the core of effective water stewardship. As both a global membership network and the custodian of a leading sustainability standard, the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) encourages water users to look beyond their own operations and collaborate with others to protect shared water resources.
Through the AWS Standard, communities of practice, programmes and our engaged community of members, AWS supports organisations on their journey to becoming good water stewards.
AWS brings together a diverse range of stakeholders to focus on collective action. We collaborate with leading organisations such as WWF, The Nature Conservancy, the Water Resilience Coalition of the CEO Water Mandate, the Water Resilient Accelerator and others to establish a shared vision, align initiatives and co-develop solutions that strengthen catchment resilience and advance sustainable water stewardship.
Learn more about collective action in this report, co-authored by experts from over 15 leading organisations in the water sector, that sets out a framework for working together as an ecosystem of freshwater solution providers.
AWS encourages collaborative working through the AWS Collective Action Accelerator – a programme that brings together stakeholders to find solutions to shared water challenges.
Our strength lies in the diversity of our members. Join AWS and become part of a community that is shaping the future of water stewardship and driving towards a water-secure future.
Find out more about the AWS Standard – recognised as the gold standard for water stewardship.
Join an AWS Community of Practice (CoP) to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from experts. We hold CoPs in the following areas: