AQUEDUCT METADATA DOCUMENT AQUEDUCT GLOBAL MAPS 2.1

The document details the methodology for the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas Global Maps 2.1, which updates the 2013 version by incorporating GLDAS-2 NOAH v. 3.3 runoff data. It outlines 12 indicators categorized into physical risk (quantity and quality) and regulatory and reputational risk. The framework utilizes a combination of public domain data, literature reviews, and original datasets to estimate water availability and use at the hydrological catchment scale. Key metrics include baseline water stress, inter-annual and seasonal variability, flood and drought severity, and groundwater stress, alongside socio-economic indicators like media coverage and access to water.

• The Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas employs a framework consisting of 12 global indicators divided into three risk categories: physical risk (further split into quantity and quality), and regulatory and reputational risk.
• The Global Maps 2.1 dataset updates the 2013 version (2.0) by replacing the GLDAS-2 NOAH v. 2.7.1 runoff data with GLDAS-2 NOAH v. 3.3 data.
• Baseline water stress is calculated as the ratio of total annual water withdrawals (agricultural, industrial, and municipal) to the mean available blue water from 1950 to 2010.
• Water supply is modeled using a catchment-to-catchment flow-accumulation approach, where runoff is calculated as precipitation minus evapotranspiration and change in soil moisture storage.
• Groundwater stress is determined by the ratio of groundwater withdrawal to its recharge rate over an aquifer, with values exceeding one indicating unsustainable consumption.
• Regulatory and reputational risk is assessed through three indicators: media coverage of water scarcity and pollution (2002–2011), the percentage of the population lacking access to improved drinking-water sources, and the percentage of IUCN-threatened freshwater amphibian species.

APA

GASSERT, F., LANDIS, M., LUCK, M., REIG, P., & SHIAO, T. (2015). AQUEDUCT METADATA DOCUMENT AQUEDUCT GLOBAL MAPS 2.1. World Resources Institute. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Aqueduct_Global_Maps_2.1.pdf

Chicago

GASSERT, FRANCIS, MATT LANDIS, MATT LUCK, PAUL REIG, and TIEN SHIAO. AQUEDUCT METADATA DOCUMENT AQUEDUCT GLOBAL MAPS 2.1. World Resources Institute, 2015. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Aqueduct_Global_Maps_2.1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=GASSERT |first1=FRANCIS |last2=LANDIS |first2=MATT |last3=LUCK |first3=MATT |last4=REIG |first4=PAUL |last5=SHIAO |first5=TIEN |title=AQUEDUCT METADATA DOCUMENT AQUEDUCT GLOBAL MAPS 2.1 |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=April 2015 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Aqueduct_Global_Maps_2.1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gassert2015aqueduct, author = {GASSERT, FRANCIS and LANDIS, MATT and LUCK, MATT and REIG, PAUL and SHIAO, TIEN}, title = {{AQUEDUCT METADATA DOCUMENT AQUEDUCT GLOBAL MAPS 2.1}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2015}, month = apr, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/Aqueduct_Global_Maps_2.1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }