In today’s global economy, the importance of open supply chain data cannot be overstated. That is particularly true for regions facing significant environmental challenges, such as Bengaluru, India. This year’s extreme weather has highlighted the need for comprehensive water risk mapping to ensure the sustainability of numerous production locations in the area. This article illustrates a concrete example of how open supply chain data tools, like Open Supply Hub (OS Hub), can help stakeholders actively map and assess water risks, enabling better mitigation strategies and fostering collaboration to address this pressing issue.
Why Water is a Critical Issue in Bengaluru
The summer season in 2024, which in India spans from March to May, witnessed widespread anxiety among residents and water management bodies in Bengaluru (also known as Bangalore), the capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka. During last year’s monsoon season (2023), Karnataka received rainfall that was 18 percent below normal, the lowest quantity rainfall since 2015 leading to drying borewells and a shortage of water tankers. This led to 223 taluks (Indian administrative regions in a city), declared drought-hit. The reason? For Bengaluru, the majority of the water supply comes from the Kaveri river and groundwater extraction. The infographic from Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods (WELL) Labs from How Water Flows Through Bengaluru: Urban Water Balance Report depicts the water sources and flow of water in Bengaluru.
The water situation in Bengaluru then reverses during the rainy season as the city grapples with excessive rains that can lead to another issue—floods. The major challenge to Bengaluru’s water security problem can be attributed to a lack of ownership and responsibility in addressing the issue holistically, as only 1.3% of the water consumed in Bengaluru is harvested from rainwater. Other challenges include the lag in the extension of piped water supply and sewerage networks across the entire city.
Bengaluru’s Vibrant Industrial Landscape: Grappling with Water Risks
Bengaluru, known as the Silicon Valley of India, is home to many leading technology companies. Other prominent industries across the state of Karnataka and Bengaluru include food, metals, electronics, machinery, chemical products, electrical equipment, and apparel.
As per the Karnataka Economic Survey, 2022-23, more than 700,000 MSME (micro, small and medium) production units are located in Bengaluru. Out of these, 96% are micro industries, and the rest are small, medium and large industries, employing more than six million people. Intensive water-using industries, such as food, apparel, electronics, paper and fertilizers, based on the size of the production units, are the ones to fall under immediate risks due to the rising water challenges.
Mapping Water Risks in Bengaluru Supply Chains
We can’t fix what we can’t see, so understanding the scope of the problem is the first step. With OS Hub, stakeholders can share data about the production locations across Bengaluru city that fall within this water risk zone (and beyond!). As of June 2024, around 600 production sites located in Bengaluru and adjoining areas touching Bengaluru boundaries in the state of Karnataka are mapped in this search. Anyone can use this search tool to identify the facilities and their respective sectors and organizations that are connected to them.
Open Supply Hub is seeking to map all the world’s production locations, but it’s still a work in progress—one may not find every production location in Bengaluru mapped just yet. As more stakeholders participate in the platform, the more locations will be mapped and the more clarity and visibility we’ll have into the supply chain risks in this area and who is poised to address them together.
How to Use Open Supply Chain Data to Get More Detail Insights on Production Sites at Risks
1. With the existing data of 600 production sites in Bengaluru and adjoining areas, this pre-drawn search shows all facilities in the region that are facing the risk of an extreme water crisis. This information is useful to understand which water-intensive factories in the region would face threats amid a lack of water and, in the case of excessive water or flood situations, need to plan for the crisis.
2. A specific sector search will help filter the production locations according to industries. Users can also download the filtered data into a CSV or Excel file for a machine-readable dataset to further analyze or layer into external systems.
3. One of the most powerful features of an open data platform is the ability to see all the stakeholders connected to a particular production location or region. This enables stakeholders to use the insights gathered to adopt collaborative remedial measures in cases of crisis.
For instance, in this search, the list of facilities is ordered based on how many organizations have shared data about a particular facility.
And this search result shows the details of contributions by stakeholders for a single facility. In this use case of Alankar Enterprises, data uploaded by six contributors for the facility can be found by clicking the text “6 current contributors have uploaded data for this facility,” which will give insights on current-day contributors.
As more sectors and their production location data move onto the platform, more stakeholders can work together on mitigation planning in the face of a crisis. Considering the strength of micro and small enterprises in Bengaluru, their supply chain data can be a valuable and powerful tool for understanding risks and taking corresponding action. With the OS Hub platform, various stakeholders like brands, civil societies, and facilities can collaborate and plan joint remedial actions. Open supply chain data on OS Hub, such as the number of workers or the approximate size of the facility’s operations, can be further used as important indicators to analyze potential risks and thoroughly plan ahead of any crises.
We call on all the supply chain stakeholders to join hands in creating this open dataset with us. You can join by sharing data, making use of the existing data, or encouraging others to join the movement.
Follow the step by step guide to contribute data to OS Hub. Any questions? Email us at info@opensupplyhub.org or our India Community Manager bhagyashree@openshupplyhub.org for more information.
OS Hub is a non-profit platform that relies on philanthropic support to sustain the world’s most complete, open and accessible supply chain map. Join us in powering the transition to safe and sustainable supply chains by making a donation today.
