Water Risk Filter
Description
This dataset contains water risk indicators for terrestrial and freshwater areas, with global coverage at the sub-basin scale (polygons). Sixty-six indicators are aggregated into seventeen risk categories and three risk types: physical risk, regulatory deficiency risk, and reputational risk.
Assessment units follow HydroBASINS Level 7, with units that cross national borders sub-divided along national boundaries. World Bank boundaries are used for island nations not covered by HydroBASINS. Marine and coastal units are not included.
Physical risk categories cover water availability, drought, flooding, water quality, water accessibility, and ecosystem service status. Regulatory deficiency risk categories cover application, scoping, rights, access and entitlements, institutions and governance, management instruments, subnational water law, offences and penalties, and implementation risk. Reputational risk categories cover pressures on freshwater, environmental factors, and socio-economic factors.
Physical and reputational risk values are weighted composites of risk categories, where weights vary by site activity. Values are provided for 26 site activities, one of which represents a state of nature with no activity. Regulatory deficiency risk is industry-agnostic and does not vary by activity.
5150fe5d…Usage notes
Risk variables follow a three-level naming convention. Risk types are bph (physical risk), brg (regulatory deficiency risk), and brp (reputational risk). Risk categories follow the convention brc_{category}, where category is a number from 1 to 17. Individual indicators follow the convention b_{category}_{indicator}, where category matches the risk category number and indicator is a sequential number within that category.
Risk values range from 1 (very low risk) to 5 (very high risk). Risk types, physical risk categories, and reputational risk categories are continuous weighted means. Regulatory deficiency risk categories and individual indicators are integer risk classes, with the exception of freshwater habitat degradation, water quality pollution, and water conflicts indicator variables, which are continuous. A value of -666 indicates that an indicator is not relevant to an assessment unit. Calculations exclude no-data and not-relevant values.
Some indicators are published at country level and are held constant within a country. The dataset is a single composite assessment rather than a time series. Source data is published between 2017 and 2025, and individual indicators draw on time windows of differing and sometimes longer duration. Where data are missing for an assessment unit, values are estimated from a sovereign, parent, or neighbouring unit, assigned a default risk class, or derived from source data more than five years old. The dataset is suitable for screening and prioritising water risk across operations and value chains, and is not suitable for site-level assessment.
AOI constraints
Vertices≤ 10,000GeometryPolygon, MultiPolygon, Point, MultiPointVariables
id_0
Description
Sequential identifier of the parent unit.
id_1
Description
Unique sequential identifier of the assessment unit.
rfs_id
Description
Risk Filter Suite unique identifier.
Usage notes
Formed from parent ID variable with a letter suffix. Assessment units sharing a parent are distinguished by the suffix.
parent_id
Description
Original identifier of the parent unit.
Usage notes
HydroBASINS parents can contain more than one assessment unit. World Bank island parents contain exactly one. For HydroBASINS Level 7 units, value is taken from the HydroBASINS database. For all other units, value is a unique 10-length numeric string.
location_id
Description
Three character code of the country or territory.
Usage notes
Most locations use ISO-3166 codes. Non-standard codes are used for locations separated by WWF to represent distinct biogeographic regions. Disputed areas as defined by the World Bank use codes with the structure X00. See table for codes.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| AZO | Azores |
| CLI | Clipperton Island |
| CNR | Canary Islands |
| HWI | Hawaii |
| MDR | Madeira |
| PEW | Prince Edward Islands |
| X01 | Aksai Chin |
| X02 | Chumar East |
| X03 | Chumar West |
| X04 | Demchok |
| X05 | Jadh Ganga Valley |
| X06 | Kaurik |
| X07 | Lapthal |
| X08 | Shipki Pass |
| X09 | Arunachal Pradesh |
| X10 | Gilgit Baltistan |
| X11 | Jammu and Kashmir |
| X12 | Kalapani |
| X13 | Karakoram Range |
| X14 | Golan Heights |
| X15 | Ilemi Triangle |
| X16 | No Man's Land |
| X17 | Shebaa Farms Dispute |
| X18 | UN Buffer Zone |
| X19 | Abyei |
| X20 | Doklam |
sovereign
Description
Three character ISO-3166 code of the sovereign nation.
Usage notes
Only differs from location ID variable for overseas territories or outlying islands. Null for disputed areas.
name
Description
Assessment unit name. Corresponds to sub-basin name in the FAO Hydrological Basins of the World database.
Usage notes
Null for a small number of assessment units.
major_name
Description
Major basin name. Corresponds to major basin name in the FAO Hydrological Basins of the World database.
Usage notes
A single major basin contains multiple assessment units. Null for a small number of assessment units.
region
Description
Broad geographic region. Adapted from World Bank regions.
source
Description
Assessment unit source dataset.
Usage notes
Values are HydroBASIN7 for units derived from HydroBASINS Level 7 and World Bank for island nation units.
source_id
Description
Identifier within the source dataset. Identical to parent ID variable for HydroBASINS units.
area
Description
Area of the assessment unit.
area_hybas
Description
Area of the parent HydroBASINS Level 7 unit.
Usage notes
Null for units not derived from HydroBASINS.
area_location
Description
Area of the country or territory corresponding to location ID variable.
marine
Description
Indicates whether an assessment unit falls in the marine realm.
Usage notes
Always false in this dataset, since all assessment units are terrestrial or freshwater. Retained for compatibility with the broader Risk Filter Suite.
activity_code
Description
Four character code for the site activity applied when calculating physical and reputational risk values.
Usage notes
Each assessment unit appears once per activity. Regulatory deficiency risk values are identical across activities for the same assessment unit.
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| AGAN | Agriculture (animal products) |
| AGAQ | Fishing and aquaculture |
| AGPL | Agriculture (plant products) |
| CMFR | Paper and forest product production |
| CMML | Metals and mining |
| CMOG | Oil, gas and consumable fuels |
| CTDV | Land development and construction |
| CTMT | Construction materials |
| ELCO | Electric energy production - geothermal or combustion (biomass, coal, gas, nuclear, oil) |
| ELHY | Electric energy production - hydropower |
| ELRE | Electric energy production - solar, wind |
| HCGE | Health care, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology |
| MAAU | Automotive, electrical equipment and machinery production |
| MAEL | Electronics and semiconductor manufacturing |
| MAGE | Appliances and general goods manufacturing |
| OTXX | State of nature (no activity) |
| PRCH | Chemicals and other materials production |
| PRFO | Food and beverage production |
| PRTX | Textiles, apparel and luxury goods production |
| REDC | Data centres |
| REHO | Hospitality services |
| REOF | Offices and professional services (including consulting, software, real estate, and financial institutions) |
| RTGE | Food, general and speciality retailing |
| UTTC | Telecommunication services (including wireless) |
| UTTR | Transportation services |
| UTWR | Water utilities and water service providers |
only_terrestrial
Description
Indicates whether a site activity can occur only in terrestrial areas.
Usage notes
Varies by site activity rather than by assessment unit.
bph
Description
Physical risk. Weighted mean of six physical risk category variables, with weights that vary by site activity. Represents potential adverse consequences to a company from its dependence on freshwater resources and ecosystem services.
brc_1
Description
Water availability. Physical risk category representing risk from physical freshwater scarcity. Weighted mean of four constituent indicator variables.
b_1_1
Description
Water depletion. Ratio of surface and groundwater consumptive use to available renewable water. Taken from WaterGAP3, based on average annual and monthly values for 1971-2000 and aligned with the SBTN Unified Layer calculated at HydroBASIN Level 6 scale.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 0.1 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 0.1-0.2 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0.2-0.4 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0.4-0.8 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 0.8 |
b_1_2
Description
Baseline water stress. Ratio of total surface and groundwater withdrawals to available renewable water. Taken from WRI Aqueduct 4.0, based on average monthly values for 1979-2019 regressed to a 2019 baseline and aligned with the SBTN Unified Layer calculated at HydroBASIN Level 6 scale.
Usage notes
Does not account for environmental flow requirements or water quality.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 5% |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 5-25% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 25-75% and ≥ 3 of 30 years with a month exceeding 75% (dry-year) |
| 4 | High Risk | > 25-75% and at least one month every year exceeding 75% (seasonal) |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 75-100% |
b_1_3
Description
Freshwater quantity target. Percentage by which current collective water use must be reduced to remain within ecologically sustainable limits. Based on blue water footprint for 1971-2010 and blue water footprint caps at HydroBASINS Level 5 and aligned with the SBTN Unified Layer calculated at HydroBASIN Level 6 scale.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | < 5% |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 5-25% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 25-50% |
| 4 | High Risk | > 50-80% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 80% |
b_1_4
Description
Groundwater. Change in groundwater level. Taken from the Global Land Water Storage dataset, expressed as the change from 2003-2007 to 2015-2019.
Usage notes
Negative values indicate a decline in groundwater level, which corresponds to high risk.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≥ +5 mm |
| 2 | Low Risk | +4.9 to -5 mm |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | -5.01 to -50 mm |
| 4 | High Risk | -50.01 to -100 mm |
| 5 | Very High Risk | < -100 mm |
brc_2
Description
Drought. Physical risk category. Weighted mean of two constituent indicator variables.
Usage notes
Long-term drought and short-term drought indicator variables are weighted unevenly, with long-term drought weighted more heavily to reduce sensitivity to year-to-year variability.
b_2_1
Description
Long-term drought. Proportion of dry events over a 10-year period, based on the 12-month Standardized Precipitation and Evaporation Index. Taken from the Copernicus Global Drought Observatory.
Usage notes
Dry events are defined as a Standardized Precipitation and Evaporation Index value of -1 or lower.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0 |
| 2 | Low Risk | 0-0.15 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0.15-0.3 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0.3-0.6 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 0.6 |
b_2_2
Description
Short-term drought. Same index as long-term drought indicator variable, with the proportion of dry events calculated over a 3-year period.
Usage notes
Dry events are defined as a standardized precipitation and evaporation index value of -1 or lower.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0 |
| 2 | Low Risk | 0-0.15 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0.15-0.3 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0.3-0.6 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 0.6 |
brc_3
Description
Flooding. Physical risk category. Weighted mean of two constituent indicator variables.
Usage notes
Flood occurrence and flood hazard indicator variables are weighted unevenly, with observed flood occurrence weighted more heavily than modelled flood hazard.
b_3_1
Description
Flood occurrence. Count of flood events within an assessment unit over a 36-year period. Taken from the Dartmouth Flood Observatory.
Usage notes
Includes floods from overflowing rivers, lakes, and oceans, heavy rainfall, snowmelt, dam and levee failures, and storm surges.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0 events |
| 2 | Low Risk | 1-2 events |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 3-10 events |
| 4 | High Risk | 11-30 events |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 30 events |
b_3_2
Description
Flood hazard. Median depth of a 100-year flood across an assessment unit. Taken from the JRC Global River Flood Hazard Maps.
Usage notes
Flood depth is modelled per pixel as the maximum depth of a 100-year flood, with pixels outside the 100-year flood extent assigned zero.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 0.0514 m |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 0.0514-0.0530 m |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0.0530-0.0567 m |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0.0567-0.0718 m |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 0.0718 m |
brc_4
Description
Water quality. Physical risk category. Evenly weighted mean of nine constituent indicator variables.
Usage notes
Also supplied directly as water quality pollution indicator variable under reputational risk.
b_4_1
Description
Coastal eutrophication potential. Potential for riverine loadings of nitrogen, phosphorus, and silica to stimulate harmful algal blooms in coastal waters. Taken from WRI Aqueduct 4.0 and aligned with the SBTN Unified Layer calculated at HydroBASIN Level 6 scale.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ -5 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > -5 to 0 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0 to 1 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 1 to 5 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 5 |
b_4_2
Description
Nitrate-nitrite concentration. Predicted annual average nitrogen concentration in rivers. Taken from a World Bank machine-learning model, based on predictions for 2006-2010 and aligned with the SBTN Unified Layer calculated at HydroBASIN Level 6 scale.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 0.4 mg/L |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 0.4-0.8 mg/L |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0.8-1.2 mg/L |
| 4 | High Risk | > 1.2-1.6 mg/L |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 1.6 mg/L |
b_4_3
Description
Periphyton growth potential. Modelled dissolved and total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations during the growing season, identifying which nutrient limits periphyton proliferation. Aligned with the SBTN Unified Layer calculated at HydroBASIN Level 6 scale
Usage notes
Risk class thresholds depend on the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of the assessment unit.
| Index | Label | Nitrogen where N:P < 7 (mg/L) | Phosphorus where N:P ≥ 7 (mg/L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 0.4 | ≤ 0.023 |
| 2 | Low Risk | 0.4-0.8 | 0.023-0.046 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 0.8-1.2 | 0.046-0.100 |
| 4 | High Risk | 1.2-1.6 | 0.100-0.150 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 1.6 | > 0.150 |
b_4_4
Description
Biological oxygen demand. Average monthly biological oxygen demand concentration, representing organic pollution. Taken from DynQual, modelled for 2010-2019.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 1 mg/L |
| 2 | Low Risk | 1.1-5 mg/L |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 5.1-10 mg/L |
| 4 | High Risk | 10.1-30 mg/L |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 30 mg/L |
b_4_5
Description
Pathogens. Average monthly faecal coliform concentration, representing pathogen pollution. Taken from DynQual, modelled for 2010-2019.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 5.09 cfu/100 mL |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 5.09-53.58 cfu/100 mL |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 53.58-258.19 cfu/100 mL |
| 4 | High Risk | > 258.19-615.80 cfu/100 mL |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 615.80 cfu/100 mL |
b_4_6
Description
Pesticides. Multi-metric indicator combining a pesticide pollution risk value and the number of active ingredients posing environmental risk.
Usage notes
Final value is the higher of the two sub-metric classes.
| Index | Label | Active ingredients | Pesticide risk value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 6 | ≤ 1 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 6-11 | > 1-2 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 11-16 | > 2-3 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 16-20 | > 3-4 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 20 | > 4 |
b_4_7
Description
Chemicals. Toxicity stress on aquatic systems from chemicals transported through and accumulated in freshwater ecosystems. Taken from Deltares, based on modelled concentrations of 1,785 chemicals.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 5% species affected |
| 2 | Low Risk | 5-10% species affected |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 10-25% species affected |
| 4 | High Risk | 25-50% species affected |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 50% species affected |
b_4_8
Description
Plastics. Mismanaged plastic waste entering the environment, based on 2015 data.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 2 kg/yr/km² |
| 2 | Low Risk | 2.1-20 kg/yr/km² |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 20.1-200 kg/yr/km² |
| 4 | High Risk | 200.1-2,000 kg/yr/km² |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 2,000 kg/yr/km² |
b_4_9
Description
Salinity. Average monthly total dissolved solids concentration, representing salinity. Taken from DynQual, modelled for 2010-2019.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 100 mg/L |
| 2 | Low Risk | 100.1-250 mg/L |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 250.1-525 mg/L |
| 4 | High Risk | 525.1-3,000 mg/L |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 3,000 mg/L |
brc_5
Description
Water accessibility. Physical risk category. Evenly weighted mean of two constituent indicator variables.
b_5_1
Description
Access to basic safe drinking water. Percentage of people using at least basic water services with a collection time of 30 minutes round trip or less. Taken from the WHO and World Bank Joint Monitoring Programme.
Usage notes
Basic water services include piped water, boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered water. Data only varies at country scale.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 95% |
| 2 | Low Risk | 90-95% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 80-90% |
| 4 | High Risk | 60-80% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | < 60% |
b_5_2
Description
Access to basic sanitation. Percentage of people using at least basic sanitation services. Taken from the WHO and World Bank Joint Monitoring Programme.
Usage notes
Basic sanitation services are improved facilities not shared with other households, including flush and pour-flush latrines, ventilated pit latrines, and composting toilets with slabs. Data only varies at country scale.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 95% |
| 2 | Low Risk | 90-95% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 80-90% |
| 4 | High Risk | 60-80% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | < 60% |
brc_6
Description
Ecosystem service status. Physical risk category. Weighted mean of five constituent indicator variables.
Usage notes
Constituent indicator variables are weighted unevenly, with forest canopy loss and landslide hazard weighted lower than the other indicators due to their effect on water resources being indirect.
b_6_1
Description
Forest canopy loss. Tree cover loss, used as a proxy for catchment ecosystem service degradation. Taken from the Hansen Global Forest Change dataset, covering 2000-2024.
Usage notes
Trees are defined as vegetation taller than 5 m, and loss as stand-replacement disturbance.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | < 1% |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 1-2% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 2-5% |
| 4 | High Risk | > 5-20% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 20% |
b_6_2
Description
Landslide hazard. Landslide susceptibility class. Taken from the NASA Landslide Sensitivity Map.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | Slight |
| 2 | Low Risk | Low |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | Moderate |
| 4 | High Risk | High |
| 5 | Very High Risk | Severe |
b_6_3
Description
Invasive species. Count of unique invasive freshwater species, or species affecting freshwater environments, recorded within a national or sub-national area. Taken from the CABI Invasive Species Compendium.
Usage notes
Excludes exterminated and naturalised species.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 62 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 62-124 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 124-162 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 162-204 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 204 |
b_6_4
Description
Desertification. Count of converging land degradation and environmental change indicators. Taken from the convergence of evidence layer of the World Atlas of Desertification.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0-1 |
| 2 | Low Risk | 2-3 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 4-5 |
| 4 | High Risk | 6-7 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 8-14 |
b_6_5
Description
River fragmentation. Percentage of river basin volume considered fragmented. Taken from the global free-flowing rivers dataset, based on the Connectivity Status Index.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0% (all volume free-flowing) |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 0-20% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 20-70% |
| 4 | High Risk | > 70-90% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 90% |
brg
Description
Regulatory deficiency risk. Adjusted regulatory deficiency risk value derived from Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessments, incorporating implementation risk category variable as a non-linear adjusting factor. Represents gaps in the water regulatory framework of the jurisdiction in which an assessment unit is located.
brc_7
Description
Application. Regulatory deficiency risk category. Aggregate of two constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_7_1
Description
Status of IWRM water policy. Existence, alignment with integrated water resources management (IWRM), and comprehensiveness of national water policy. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_7_2
Description
IWRM policy statement in law. Whether IWRM objectives are reflected in the purpose or objectives statement of the law. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_8
Description
Scoping. Regulatory deficiency risk category assessing the comprehensiveness of key water-related legal definitions. Aggregate of nine constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_8_1
Description
Definition of freshwater resources. Presence and comprehensiveness of a legal definition of freshwater. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_2
Description
Definition of groundwater. Presence of a legal definition of groundwater. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_3
Description
Definition of wastewater. Presence and comprehensiveness of a legal definition of wastewater. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_4
Description
Definition of environmental water. Presence of a legal definition of environmental water. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_5
Description
Definition of wetlands. Presence and comprehensiveness of a legal definition of wetlands, referencing hydrology, soils, and vegetation. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_6
Description
Definition of basin, watershed, or catchment. Presence of a legal definition of basin or watershed, including transnational recognition. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_7
Description
Definition of riparian zone. Presence of a legal definition of riparian zones, covering habitat corridor, flood mitigation, and pollutant filtration. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_8
Description
Definition of potable water. Presence of a legal definition of potable or drinking water. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_8_9
Description
Definition of water pollution. Presence of a legal definition of water pollution. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_9
Description
Rights, access and entitlements. Regulatory deficiency risk category. Aggregate of four constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_9_1
Description
Constitutional right to clean and healthy environment. Constitutional recognition of citizen rights to a clean and healthy environment, including freshwater. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_9_2
Description
Access to water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Legal guarantee of access to clean water and sanitation infrastructure. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_9_3
Description
Water register. Existence of a water register recording licences and entitlements, with public accessibility. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_9_4
Description
Infrastructure and management. Legal mandate to develop and maintain water supply and sanitation infrastructure. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_10
Description
Institutions and governance. Regulatory deficiency risk category. Aggregate of three constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_10_1
Description
Water resource authority. Existence of a designated water authority with defined responsibilities and enforcement powers. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_10_2
Description
Coordination among national government authorities. Legal mechanisms coordinating national government authorities on water resources. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_10_3
Description
Public participation. Requirements for public participation in water management planning, infrastructure, and regulatory development. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_11
Description
Management instruments. Regulatory deficiency risk category covering monitoring of water quality and status, catchment and resource management plans, data sharing, and disaster management. Aggregate of seven constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_11_1
Description
Monitoring environmental water quality. Legal mandate for regular monitoring and reporting of water quality. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_11_2
Description
Monitoring of environmental water status. Legal requirement to monitor water quantity, including flow rates, surface water, and groundwater. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_11_3
Description
Water catchment management. Requirement for basin or catchment management plans with domestic, agricultural, industrial, and environmental components. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_11_4
Description
Water resource management plans. Legal mandate for water management plans with defined content, time frames, and spatial scales. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_11_5
Description
Enforceability of water resource management plans. Legal enforceability of mandated water management plans. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_11_6
Description
Water-related disasters. Laws addressing disaster and emergency spill management instruments, including drought and flood mitigation strategies. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_11_7
Description
Data compilation and sharing (national level). Legal mandate to compile and share water-related data nationally. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_12
Description
Subnational water law. Regulatory deficiency risk category. Aggregate of two constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_12_1
Description
Requirement to meet national standards. Whether subnational water law is required to meet national standards, and the scope of independent regulatory power held by subnational authorities. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_12_2
Description
Coordination among local and national authorities. Legal mechanisms coordinating local authorities with each other and with national bodies on water resources. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_13
Description
Offences and penalties. Regulatory deficiency risk category. Aggregate of three constituent indicator variables, following Legal Atlas aggregation rules.
b_13_1
Description
Violation of clean water standards. Penalties, including monetary fines and criminal sanctions, for violations of clean water standards, applicable to legal entities. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_13_2
Description
Violation of wastewater standards. Penalties for violations of wastewater standards, applicable to legal entities. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
b_13_3
Description
Harm to wetlands. Penalties for harm to wetlands, applicable to legal entities. Value from the Legal Atlas regulatory deficiency risk assessment.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 40-70 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-40 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0 (regulation completely absent) |
brc_14
Description
Implementation risk. Regulatory deficiency risk category derived from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators. Aggregate of two constituent indicator variables.
Usage notes
Applied as a non-linear adjusting factor to regulatory deficiency risk rather than averaged with other categories.
b_14_1
Description
Effective policy formulation. Combined World Bank Government Effectiveness and Regulatory Quality indices, capturing the quality of public services, policy formulation, and the ability to design and implement business-enabling policies.
Usage notes
Thresholds are World Bank governance values.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≥ 1.5 |
| 2 | Low Risk | ≥ 0.5 to < 1.5 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | ≥ -0.5 to < 0.5 |
| 4 | High Risk | ≥ -1.5 to < -0.5 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | < -1.5 |
b_14_2
Description
Respect for institutions. Combined World Bank Rule of Law and Control of Corruption indices, capturing contract enforcement, property rights, and the extent to which public power is used for private gain.
Usage notes
Thresholds are World Bank governance values.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≥ 1.5 |
| 2 | Low Risk | ≥ 0.5 to < 1.5 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | ≥ -0.5 to < 0.5 |
| 4 | High Risk | ≥ -1.5 to < -0.5 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | < -1.5 |
brp
Description
Reputational risk. Weighted mean of three reputational risk category variables. Represents potential adverse consequences from negative stakeholder perception of a company's water-related impacts.
brc_15
Description
Pressures on freshwater. Reputational risk category. Evenly weighted mean of three constituent indicator variables.
b_15_1
Description
Freshwater exploitation. Potential water withdrawal assuming no constraints on water availability. Taken from WaterGAP v2.2e, modelled for 2022 under the ISIMIP3b protocol.
Usage notes
Includes water use from irrigation, thermal power plants, domestic use, manufacturing, and livestock.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 5.63 mm/s |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 5.63-107.84 mm/s |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 107.84-579.79 mm/s |
| 4 | High Risk | > 579.79-1,154.56 mm/s |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 1,154.56 mm/s |
b_15_2
Description
Freshwater habitat degradation. Multi-metric indicator combining wetland loss through human conversion, river extent change, and river fragmentation.
Usage notes
Final value is the mean of the three sub-metric risk classes. River fragmentation uses the same source as river fragmentation indicator variable.
b_15_3
Description
Water quality pollution. Direct copy of water quality category variable, treated as a standalone indicator within reputational risk.
brc_16
Description
Environmental factors. Reputational risk category. Evenly weighted mean of four constituent indicator variables.
b_16_1
Description
Freshwater biodiversity. Multi-metric indicator combining freshwater-dependent vertebrate species richness and endemism, aggregated to Freshwater Ecoregions of the World. Taken from the FreshVerts database.
Usage notes
Final value is the higher of the two sub-metric classes.
| Index | Label | Species per ecoregion | Endemic species per ecoregion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 91 | ≤ 1 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 91-126 | > 1-4 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 126-220 | > 4-15 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 220-374 | > 15-44 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 374 | > 44 |
b_16_2
Description
Ramsar wetlands. Proportion of an assessment unit overlapping a Ramsar site from the List of Wetlands of International Importance. Taken from the Ramsar Sites Information Service.
Usage notes
Risk is binary, where any overlap is treated as very high risk and no overlap as very low risk.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 0% |
b_16_3
Description
Ecosystem condition (intact). Ecosystem Integrity Index, synthesising ecosystem function, structure, and composition into a single metric, inverted so that high ecosystem integrity corresponds to high risk.
Usage notes
Inversion reflects greater scrutiny of companies operating in intact ecosystems.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 0.2 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 0.2-0.4 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 0.4-0.6 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0.6-0.8 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 0.8 |
b_16_4
Description
Free flowing rivers. Direct inverse of river fragmentation indicator variable.
Usage notes
Same thresholds as river fragmentation indicator variable, applied inversely, so that a fully free-flowing river network corresponds to very high risk.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | > 90% |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 70-90% |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 20-70% |
| 4 | High Risk | > 0-20% |
| 5 | Very High Risk | 0% (all volume free-flowing) |
brc_17
Description
Socio-economic factors. Reputational risk category. Weighted mean of three constituent indicator variables.
Usage notes
Water conflicts, labour and human rights, and financial inequality indicator variables are weighted unevenly, with water conflicts weighted most heavily as the most direct socio-economic water risk signal.
b_17_1
Description
Water conflicts. Total number of water conflict events per country over a 100-year period, where water acts as a trigger, weapon, or casualty of conflict involving violence or the threat of violence. Taken from the Pacific Institute Water Conflict Chronology.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | 0 events |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 0-2 events |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 2-10 events |
| 4 | High Risk | > 10-35 events |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 35 events |
b_17_2
Description
Labour and human rights. V-Dem Civil Liberties Index, estimating the extent to which people are free from torture, political killings, and forced labour, and enjoy freedoms of movement, religion, expression, and association.
Usage notes
Final value is an inverse standard-error-weighted mean across the three most recent data years per country. Overseas territories without data use the value of their sovereign nation.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≥ 0.9 |
| 2 | Low Risk | 0.83-0.9 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | 0.66-0.83 |
| 4 | High Risk | 0.36-0.66 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | < 0.36 |
b_17_3
Description
Financial inequality. Gini coefficient. Taken from the Standardized World Income Inequality Database.
Usage notes
Final value is an inverse standard-error-weighted mean across the three most recent data years per country.
| Index | Label | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Very Low Risk | ≤ 32 |
| 2 | Low Risk | > 32-36 |
| 3 | Moderate Risk | > 36-40 |
| 4 | High Risk | > 40-45 |
| 5 | Very High Risk | > 45 |
geometry
Description
Polygon geometry of the assessment unit.
Pricing
The first 10 sites/100ha are free of charge as part of a free trial.
Site uploads are equated to 1 site = 1 ha.
The minimum billed fee for one dataset is $10,000. For two datasets, the minimum billed fee is $13,000.
Please see this document for more details.
| Volume | Price |
|---|---|
| ≤ 50,000 ha, one dataset | $0.35/ha |
| ≤ 50,000 ha, both datasets | $0.50/ha |
| 50,001 – 100,000 ha, one dataset | $0.175/ha |
| 50,001 – 100,000 ha, both datasets | $0.25/ha |
| 100,001+ ha, one dataset | $0.0875/ha |
| 100,001+ ha, both datasets | $0.125/ha |
Resources
Provider
WWF
www.wwf.deWWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is an international conservation organisation headquartered in Gland (Switzerland), working through a network of national and regional offices.WWF produces environmental datasets and analytical tools spanning freshwater, biodiversity, forests, and climate.The WWF Risk Filter Suite, comprising the Water Risk Filter and the Biodiversity Risk Filter, is developed and maintained by WWF Germany.