Water is an essential element of life on this planet for climate, habitat and nourishment.  Apart from these apparent ecological values, freshwater also plays an essential role in the world economy, though its true value is rarely reflected in its cost.  As human demand for water intensifies and water resources decline, awareness of the importance of improved water management is growing.  A number of businesses have recently taken action to better understand the impact of their water use, which has in part led to the development of water accounting methods known as “water footprinting.”

Patagonia, an apparel company with a strong environmental commitment and a history of product-level footprinting efforts for energy, greenhouse gas emissions and waste, is now interested in conducting water footprints for its products as well.  In partnership with the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, Patagonia will continue to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis by expanding the Footprint Chronicles to track the impact of specific products from design through delivery on global water resources.

The water footprint includes an assessment of the water quantity used, water quality affected and geographic source region impacted across product life cycles.