Electric power generation is highly dependent on water. However, there is currently no set of criteria for the assessment of the stability of energy generation in a region. This set of indicators changes that.

This product offers the first integrated set of indicators for the synergies and trade-offs between the generation of electrical energy and the required water supply. No other available tool deals with the energy-water relationship in an integrated manner – in this way, the set of indicators is a novelty.

Based on the SDG principles, the product uses the concept of security according to Grey and Sadoff (2007) as a foundation, and is geared towards the numerous technical dependencies of energy and water.

The set attempts to reflect the diverse ways in which electrical energy is dependent on the water supply in a dynamic ecological, economic and social environment. Since the interactions between energy and water mainly take place on a regional level, the set is designed in such a way that it can be applied to any administrative area or river basin. The product requires only moderate data availability, which means it can be used for both industrialised and non-industrialised countries.

The set is based on six indicators and sixteen sub-indicators that encompass ecological, social, physical, technical, administrative and economic perspectives on the energy-water relationship.