A journey from water management to regeneration

Water stewardship is evolving from company-centric to stakeholder-centric, from a water entry point to a co-benefits perspective, and from placing emphasis on operational solutions to striving for collective action at catchment scale.

Taking a catchment-scale approach and recognizing the critical role of healthy freshwater ecosystems is a fundamental prerequisite for ensuring water security and supporting sustainable economic growth. The potential for positive impact through strong water stewardship is immense: 

In collaboration with Nestlé Waters and based on IUCN’s learning and experience of engaging businesses on water management and stewardship over the last 20+ years, we present our story of water regeneration.

Water management begins within company walls, with a clear focus on operational excellence. At this stage, companies aim to reduce water consumption, enhance efficiency, and prevent pollution of waterways. The emphasis is on “doing no harm”—ensuring that the organisation fully understands and minimises its water use while mitigating any negative downstream impacts.

This level of action is firmly within the company’s direct control and responsibility. It is essential for helping businesses address immediate operational impacts. However, this approach often views water in isolation, neglecting its role within broader environmental systems. It typically does not account for water’s relationship with climate, biodiversity, or the needs of other users in the basin.

Moving beyond company boundaries, water replenishment aims to return to the catchment an equal or greater volume of water than the business uses in its operations. This pillar acknowledges water as a finite resource and begins to consider the importance of balancing the water cycle.

Water replenishment projects are key for raising awareness of water’s limited availability and the need for responsible use. However, these efforts can still fall short by focusing primarily on volumes of water, through a project-based approach. They may lack a comprehensive view of the many other needs and uses of water within the catchment.

At the level of collective action, the focus broadens considerably. The aim is to create a multiplier effect—leveraging the combined efforts of multiple companies and stakeholders within the catchment. Collective action enables economies of scale, fosters shared value, and encourages cooperation across sectors.

This pillar is key for promoting equity and inclusive stakeholder processes. It helps optimise the use of resources and coordinates water stewardship activities at a catchment scale. Importantly, it supports the protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems and the valuable services they provide. By building coherence and sustainability at the catchment level, collective action moves water stewardship closer to becoming a catalyst for broader social and environmental regeneration.

When companies integrate these pillars—managing water efficiently within their operations, replenishing what they use, and collaborating with stakeholders across the catchment—a new, regenerative approach to water stewardship emerges. At this point, efforts are no longer siloed; they are aligned with goals for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. By recognising water as the connector between people, nature, and climate, stakeholders can work together toward holistic catchment management—one that restores freshwater ecosystems and supports long-term sustainability for all.