On 11 June 2018, the Iberesparragal farm in Southern Spain received the gold certificate of the Alliance for Stewardship for the implementation of the Water Stewardship standard. Good Stuff International guided and supported the entire AWS standard implementation in the farm as part of a project carried out for the Alliance for Water Stewardship.
Photo: Reservoir in Andalusia, Spain
As it was the first (gold) certificate that AWS issued for an agricultural producer in Europe, the implementation has attracted a lot of interest from people that want to implement the AWS standard in an agricultural context. Many people have asked us questions about the practical approach that we took, the solutions that we generated and the lessons we learned.
To support the wider implementation of the AWS standard in agriculture, we share our approach, lessons and solutions below.
Five lessons for implementation of water stewardship with agricultural producers
Brochure presented at the 3rd Water Stewardship Forum in Edinburgh, November 2018
Alliance for Water Stewardship standard V 2.0 implementation checklist
An excel file tool that helps to assess how the current activity and information level of the producers is aligned with the AWS standard Version 2.0 released in March 2019. Includes an additional sheet comparing the indicators of AWS V1.0 against V2.0 to facilitate transition between the two standard versions
Alliance for Water Stewardship standard V 1.0 implementation checklist
An excel file tool that helps to assess how the current activity and information level of the producers is aligned with the AWS standard
Alliance for Water Stewardship standard V 2.0 folder structure
A zipped folder structure in English according to the criteria and indicators of the AWS standard V2.0 to ease the organisation of all documents required by the standard.
Alliance for Water Stewardship standard V 1.0 folder structure
A zipped folder structure in English and Spanish according to the criteria and indicators of the AWS standard V1.0 to ease the organisation of all documents required by the standard.
Online Water Stewardship Standard (V.1.0) implementation system (free registration required)
A prototype online tool to easily track the implementation of the AWS water stewardship standard V.1.0 in a site
GSI tools supporting the practical implementation of the AWS standard
Brochure on GSI tools presented at AWS training in Cologne, Germany, June 2019.
Geographic Agricultural Water Footprint Calculator - GAWFC
A software tool that calculates green and blue water footprints of crops at geographic locations based on five georeferenced data inputs. Results have been used to produce robust site water balances for the application of the AWS standard
Geographic catchment Water Balance Estimator
Tool to estimate near real time monthly catchment water balance as change in catchment level water storage on the basis of remotely sensed ET and Rainfall and flow through a simple Runoff model.
Watershed Information System (WIS)
Simple and easy to use web app that helps you to organise, store, customize and provide access to maps and systematic information on watersheds.
Practical guidance to develop a farm and catchment water balance
GSI technical paper that explains how the Water Balance Methodology can be used to create farm and catchment water balances.
Practical guidance to develop water risk assessments in agricultural supply chains
GSI technical paper on practical methodology for developing water risk assessments that lead to catchment prioritization to guide company action
Step wise approach to engage in water stewardship in supply chains
GSI technical paper on WaterData4Action