Subscribe to our newsletter for updates on Watermarq's progress and insights on water valuation, data, and collective action. 🚀 We'd love to hear from you if you have any comments or questions relating to the contents of this newsletter. Get in touch with a member of the team or via [email protected].
Watermarq
Information Services
Oxford, England 910 followers
A new approach to valuing water.
About us
Watermarq develops decision-useful data to support investment and collective action for water security. Our novel approach - combining remote sensing with in-situ data, contextual information, and peer-reviewed research - generates basin-specific data on water availability, quality, value, and access. Our outputs include accessible and uniquely high-resolution information for the public, private and financial services sectors. (Watermarq was renamed from Oxford Earth Observation (OxEO) in November 2023).
- Website
-
www.wtrmrq.com
External link for Watermarq
- Industry
- Information Services
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Oxford, England
- Type
- Privately Held
- Founded
- 2018
- Specialties
- water stress, geospatial, innovation, climate, data, collective action, WASH, groundwater, water quality, water supply, water demand, agriculture, and mining
Locations
-
Primary
46 Woodstock Road
Grassroots Workspace
Oxford, England OX2 6HT, GB
-
County Hall, Belvedere Rd
Sustainable Ventures
London , SE1 7PB, GB
Employees at Watermarq
Updates
-
Watermarq's latest research explores current best practice, barriers, and opportunities to applying 'internal water pricing', amongst companies looking to 'value' water more appropriately and upscale their water stewardship impact. This work was made possible through the University of Oxford Micro-Internship programme Hetty Bieber Matthew Buckley, and support from Anna-Sophia Bond. See below for some of our key findings 👇
We have just put out a brief paper on how companies use an 'internal price' to reflect the value of water, beyond the tariffs that they pay. Frankly, it came as a surprise to us that nearly 8 in 10 companies in our sample disclose that they either use, or are exploring the use of, an internal water price. We thought it would be much lower than that. As you'd expect, the devil is in the detail. The full paper is available on the home page of our website (https://www.wtrmrq.com), but here are 5 take-aways: 1️⃣ The methods that companies use to derive an internal water price are overwhelmingly proprietary. So it's hard to know what assumptions are being used, and how different the assumptions are between companies and across industries. 2️⃣ The application of internal pricing is also unclear in terms of purpose, robustness, context specificity etc. And it's hard to tell whether internal prices are being used as a signal of cost or value (or both, or neither). 3️⃣ There are significant differences in the sophistication of approaches between companies that use an internal water price. Like, significant. 4️⃣ 'No standard methodology', 'lack of fit with company structure', 'insufficient data' and 'insignificance of water costs' were some of the reasons given as impediments to using an internal price, within companies' public disclosures 5️⃣ We were struck by how little there was in the narrative reporting about how companies were using emerging technologies to improve their access to better quality data that could inform internal water pricing. I won't sully this post with a sales pitch, but we consider the findings from this exercise to be encouraging for the work that we're pursuing as a company. Finally I'd like to thank a few people who kindly allowed us to include some comments in support of this paper: Patricia Calderon, Adrian Sym, Stuart Orr, Jennifer Willetts, PhD, Luke Sussams and Henk Ovink. Of course, any errors or omissions in this paper are the sole responsibility of Watermarq.
-
Watermarq reposted this
Our model at Watermarq is to augment our technological and econometric analysis with in situ data, and we use local basin specialists - who understand context - to make this possible. You can imagine how proud we collectively feel to hear H.E. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia specifically call out the work of Lubasi Limweta, Oxford Rhodes scholar and Watermarq's first basin specialist, at this press briefing. Lubasi's analysis of groundwater depletion in the Lusaka aquifer, and his proposals for adaptive responses, was the basis for his MSc dissertation at the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford; and features significantly in Watermarq's ongoing work in the Zambezi basin. In addition to fellow supervisors Simon Dadson and Neil Hart, I would like to thank Chewe Chishala, PMP® (a member of our Advisory Board), Tewodros Tena of BGR, and the Water Resources Management Authority of Zambia for their invaluable support with this work. Adriana Calderon Bethan Adams George Carew-Jones Sara Pruckner
Besides speaking at the #Zambia #at 60 #conference during a climate change panel discussion, I also had the opportunity to present my masters research findings to the president of Zambia H.E Hakainde Hichilema during a poster session. My research focused primarily on groundwater security in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia and identified groundwater security risks, their drivers, and practical solutions. During my interaction with the President, he showed interest in my work and I ran him through the Geospatial techniques I used to assess the groundwater situation in the city, the encroachment of groundwater recharge areas such as forestry 27 & 26 and the practical solutions to these challenges. After these interactions, the president committed to ensuring the uptake of my research findings/recommendations and hearing him re-emphasize this in his press briefing upon returning to Zambia is truly humbling. This gesture by the president and his government to uptake research findings is what the academic community needs in order to actively contribute to national development. A big thank you to my supervisors Prof. Simon Dadson, Dr. Neil Hart and Dr. Alex Money for guiding me from inception to completion of the research. Additionally, a huge appreciation to the team in Zambia who helped with data requirements Dr. Tewodros Tena, Water Resources Management Authority, Chewe Chishala, PMP® and #LusakaWater. And finally a big thank you to the #Rhodes #Zambian #constituency national secretary Dr. Namukale Chintu, and the team for putting together this conference as well as Dr. Roy Moobola for coordinating the poster session component of the conference. #GroundwaterSecurity #Urbanization #LusakaZambia
-
Watermarq reposted this
Thank you Neil Henty, Tom Freyberg and Aquatech for the opportunity to contribute to this piece on smart water that's on Aquatech Online this week. And in particular, for including my comment that: "The future of smart water is to go beyond volumetric analysis, to consider the value of water – who is using it, how much, when, where, and for what. This could be particularly useful in developing value-based water pricing frameworks, which could help transform the financial sustainability of some water utilities and other entities whose viability might otherwise be marginal.” That, at least, is our view at Watermarq. https://lnkd.in/ewx7QTiZ
Five industry experts discuss smart water solutions | Aquatech
aquatechtrade.com
-
Congratulations Jennifer Willetts, PhD, the team is delighted to learn of your new role and we look forward to continuing to work with you!
Delighted to learn today that Jennifer Willetts, PhD, a member of Watermarq's Advisory Board, has been promoted to Head of Sustainable Solutions at Franklin Templeton, one of the world's largest institutional investors. Whenever I advocate that Watermarq can provide the answers, Jen has gently but determinedly pushed us on whether we're asking the right questions. As a practitioner with some serious academic chops, she has consistently been an invaluable source of advice. Congratulations Jen.
-
Watermarq reposted this
We are excited to be featured as a case study by Innovate UK - the study presents an overview of our latest work innovating towards water security, and gives some great background about our motivations and next steps. If anything in there sparks your attention then please get in touch! UK Research and Innovation NERC: Natural Environment Research Council UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment (CGFI) Alex Money Adriana Calderon Bethan Adams https://lnkd.in/enbpyrrd
Innovating water security: Watermarq’s data-driven solutions for drought response and investment planning
https://iuk.ktn-uk.org
-
Watermarq reposted this
Really looking forward to presenting at this event on Thursday, alongside many other exciting innovations in the water space. I'll be sharing takeaways from the 10th World Water Forum and giving an introduction to Watermarq's work on water data & valuation. Thank you for the invitation WRc Group and Arup.
📢 Join us next Thursday in London for “Wet Networks: Managing Water for the Environment”. ✈ From sustainable aviation fuel produced from sewage, to providing clean water to rural communities in Sierra Leone, you’ll hear about some of the latest innovations in the industry, directly from the experts themselves. Our speakers include: 💧 Guy Thompson of Wessex Water 💧 Bethan Adams of Watermarq 💧 Corina Shika Kwami, PhD of Purpose 💧 James Hygate of Firefly Green Fuels 💧 Karen Binns and Sean Mills of Rory’s Well (www.roryswell.org) 💦 All chaired by Dr Leo Carswell of WRc. 💡 Secure your spot for cutting-edge insights, expert perspectives, networking opportunities, and more: Register here for in-person attendance: https://bit.ly/44HjE9Y Register here for online attendance//bit.ly/4al14pw Wet Networks: Managing Water for the Environment 🗓️ 17:00 - 20:30,Thursday 6th June 📍Arup, 8 Fitzroy Street, London W1T 4BJ WRc and Arup are supported by The UK Water Partnership, Spring, CIWEM (The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), Future Water, British Water, Water Industry Forum, UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) Martin Shouler, Felix Hughes, Elsa Germain, Kirsten Smith, Francisco Fuenzalida Concha, Maia Diffey, Arup, Olivia Daly #managingwaterfortheenvironment #WetNetworks #waterinnovation #waterindustry #watermanagement #generationrestoration
-
We are excited to be featured as a case study by Innovate UK - the study presents an overview of our latest work innovating towards water security, and gives some great background about our motivations and next steps. If anything in there sparks your attention then please get in touch! UK Research and Innovation NERC: Natural Environment Research Council UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment (CGFI) Alex Money Adriana Calderon Bethan Adams https://lnkd.in/enbpyrrd
Innovating water security: Watermarq’s data-driven solutions for drought response and investment planning
https://iuk.ktn-uk.org
-
Watermarq reposted this
If you're attending the 10th World Water Forum catch myself or Alex Money speaking in the following sessions! It’s been a wonderful experience supporting the thematic coordination process & session planning over the past few months, and I’m looking forward to learning and connecting with others next week. T6B2 ‘New interventions and integrative approaches for solving complex challenges’: Thurs 23rd, 08:30-10:00 📍 BNDCC 1, 1st FLOOR, SINGARAJA 2 6B Synthesis session ‘Innovative organisational approaches’: Fri 24th, 08:30-10:00 📍 BICC, 1st FLOOR, NUSANTARA 2 T5B1 ‘Bridge building through transboundary water finance’: Tues 21st, 13:00-14:30 📍 BICC, 1st FLOOR, NUSANTARA 1 ST5 Synthesis ‘Sustainable Water Finance’: Fri 24th, 13:00-14:30 📍 BNDCC 1, 1st FLOOR, SINGARAJA 2 T1A4 ‘Can utilities be incentivised to supply less and reduce demand while remaining viable?’: Weds 22nd, 10:20-11:50 📍 BICC, 1st FLOOR, MEDAN HLP4 ‘Reimagining collective action’: Weds 22nd, 13:00-14:30 📍 BNDCC 2, GROUND FLOOR, PECATU 5 Plus many more engaging sessions under Sub-Theme 5, Topic 6B and across the agenda, which you can explore here https://lnkd.in/ejeCRvCP Watermarq Ulrike Kelm Carola Hein Neil Dhot Claire Brown Lyons Fakri Karim Mamohloding Maahlo-Tlhagale Allison Woodruff Carla Liera Nhilce Esquivel Srishti Singh
10th World Water Forum
worldwaterforum.org
-
Watermarq reposted this
This is a thoughtful paper by BSI, not least for its pragmatism. I think everyone is signed up to the principle that common standards would be helpful, it's the practice of getting there that's perennially tricky. An interim (or maybe permanent) fix is to consider a framework to support interoperability across multiple standards, which would help issuers, investors, regulators and others out a whole bunch. Watermarq, the Valuing Water Initiative, CDP, OECD - OCDE, Danone and others plan to convene a session on this at the 10th World Water Forum next month. We recently had a look at companies' efforts to value water (https://lnkd.in/eweWWcpp). Euphemistically, we'd say this is a work in progress. Dunno what you think, Sophie Robinson-Tillett, but I'm unconvinced that e.g. aligning water targets to c-suite remuneration will move the dial much on stuff that matters, not least because of the principal agent problem. There are more impactful things that can be done - and need doing. Calling out a few folk who have been talking about this stuff recently: Joe Ray, Kirsten James, Patricia Calderon, Xavier Leflaive, Jehanne Fabre, Michael Alexander, Scott McCready, Rylan Dobson
Sustainable finance journalist with a growing interest in how real-economy companies are meeting the challenges of the transition
"A new standard could provide consensus on key ideas (such as ‘net-positive water impact’ and ‘replenishment’) and a clearer pathway into water stewardship for non-state actors wishing to engage for the first time,” said BSI Meanwhile, more than 1,000 companies told CDP they engage with their supply chains on water, but only 118, including The Coca-Cola Company, L'Oréal and Kao Corporation, integrate water targets into the remuneration policies of their chief procurement officers. Alex Money, Cate Lamb https://lnkd.in/eBeYfd5X
BSI sees ‘potential for new water stewardship standard’ - Real Economy Progress
http://real-economy-progress.com