Climate & Environment

Water Use Efficiency

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Definition

Water use efficiency measures how productively water is used, expressed as output per unit of water — crop per drop in irrigation, product value per cubic metre in industry, or delivered versus abstracted supply in utilities. SDG indicator 6.4.1 tracks change in water use efficiency over time as value added per volume withdrawn.

References

Source organisationSupporting reference

This reference provides supporting context for how “Water Use Efficiency” is defined and used.

sdgs.un.orgBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

Overview

How it is used

Governments set efficiency targets in water plans; companies report water intensity metrics and reduction goals; agricultural programmes promote efficient irrigation; reporting under GRI 303 and CDP Water includes intensity indicators.

Why it matters

With freshwater demand rising, using less water per unit of output decouples growth from abstraction and is a first-line response to scarcity, though it must be paired with allocation limits.