Water Footprint Assessment in the construction industry
This round-table will facilitate discussion of the challenges and opportunities in applying Water Footprint Assessment in the construction industry, gauge industry awareness of this issue for construction, and the level of industry readiness.
Attendance at this roundtable discussion is by invitation only. For more information please email Ruth Hynes, [email protected].
Background
Water Footprint Assessment is a relatively new tool of growing interest within the construction industry as it examines the direct and indirect water consumption throughout the supply chain of a product or asset. Water efficiency and the reduction of both operational and embodied water is emerging as an important issue to be considered in light of water scarcity and challenges arising from the impact of climate change.
Water footprinting is a consumption based accounting method concerned with the net consumption of water, rather than merely the amount of water abstracted. I.e. the volume of freshwater used to produce the product or asset measured over the full supply chain. It also provides a measure of pollution resulting from the release of chemicals and other pollutants to the freshwater bodies in the full supply chain.
This roundtable will provide an overview of the theory, technical details and methodology of Water Footprint Assessment and facilitate discussion of the challenges and opportunities of in applying the approach to the construction industry.
The workshop will bring experts and interested parties together to understand what future applications of WFA would look like in the context of construction industry.
This event will include a presentation from Dr Ashok Chapagain, Science Director, Water Footprint Network and will be chaired by Susan Harris, SRS Sustainable Business.