Water is a critical input for the textile industry, from cotton fields to garment finishing. But this valuable resource is under threat.

Since 2000, global water use has grown 25 percent, according to the World Wildlife Fund ( WWF ). And each year, 324 billion cubic meters of freshwater are lost due to a combination of droughts and practices like deforestation and wetland deterioration, a volume that the World Bank says is equivalent to the annual needs of 280 million people. Adding to the impact, this is affecting areas that are already facing water shortages. Water is also impacted by climate change, as extreme weather causes both droughts and floods, causing loss of life and impacting livelihoods in fields including cotton agriculture .…