Hydrologic Maps Based on Coca-Cola Data Spark Concern over Water Grabs

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=maps-spark-concern-over-corporate


LONDON, July 24 (AlertNet) - As competition for clean water grows, some of the world's biggest companies have joined forces to create unprecedented maps of the precious resource that flows beneath our feet.

The Aqueduct Alliance, which allows users to create maps by combining hydrological data with geographically specific details, gives companies and investors unprecedented detail of water availability in some of the world's largest river basins.

The promoters say the data should help companies use water more responsibly while helping them to manage their exposure to risk.

But critics fear the data could be used to cash in on an increasingly scarce natural resource - two thirds of people are expected to face water shortages by 2025.