Understand the nuances between these two concepts
The easiest way to understand the difference is to think about money.
- Water consumption is the amount of money you spend (e.g., €100). It’s a simple, absolute figure.
- Water scarcity is the impact of that spending. Spending €100 has a much bigger impact if your monthly budget is €500 than if it’s €50,000.
In the same way, Water consumption is the amount of water used, while Water scarcity is the environmental impact of using that water in a specific location.
Water consumption: The amount
This is an inventory indicator. It provides the raw data.
- What it is: A direct measurement of the total volume of fresh water (from rivers, lakes, and groundwater, also called “blue water”) used to make a product.
- Unit: Liters (L).
- Key takeaway: It’s easy to understand but doesn’t tell the whole environmental story, as it treats all water as equal, whether it’s taken from a desert or a rainforest.
Water scarcity: The impact
This is an impact indicator. It provides the environmental context.
- What it is: An assessment of the environmental stress caused by consuming water in a specific location, considering the local water availability versus the demand from humans and ecosystems.
- Unit: Cubic meters of water equivalent (m3 water eq.).
- How it’s calculated: We take the Water consumption (the liters used) and multiply it by a regional “water stress factor” (using the AWARE methodology). This factor is high in arid places like Egypt and low in water-rich places like Norway. This calculation reveals the true severity of the impact.
- Key takeaway: It shows the real environmental consequences of water use, which is why this approach is recommended by the European Commission.
Why you need both
You need both indicators for a complete understanding.
Water consumption gives you the basic, factual data. Water scarcity gives you the critical environmental context. Together, they provide a powerful and honest assessment of a product’s true water footprint.