On the road to Glasgow COP26, FAO Land and Water Division, as coordinator of the UN-Water Expert Group on Water Scarcity, is now releasing a new Brief on Water Use Efficiency (WUE) to advance climate goals through water-energy nexus lens, across all sectors, to ensure sustainable use of freshwater in preventing water scarcity.

This Brief provides an analytical basis for water-related policy interventions to implement Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.4.1, increasing water-use efficiency across all sectors and addresses:

• who will benefit from the adoption of water-use efficiency measures?
• what’s the difference between water efficiency and efficient use?

Given changing socio-economic and climatic conditions and the level of uncertainty over future trends in freshwater scarcity, water efficiency gains will necessarily involve economic and environmental tradeoffs, and there is a major concern for those who are particularly vulnerable and exposed to physical and economic risks as a result.

This brief examines the method adopted by the SDGs and compares it with specific sector approaches for evaluating the efficiency of freshwater use. It makes the case that operational water accounting will be needed to validate any claimed efficiency gains.

Global water withdrawals may be slowing but the pressure on freshwater resources will not relax, especially as we need to produce 50 percent more food by 2050. We will need stronger policy instruments and governance systems alongside ‘joined-up’ technology-based efficiency improvements. 

Check out the analytical brief on Water-Use Efficiency here >>>