Why No One Outside Your Office Knows What IWRM Means

You know you have gone too far when your aunt asks “What the heck is AFUE?” and you seriously consider answering with “Acronyms For Ubiquitous Experts.” In water & climate sustainability, acronyms are basically our secret handshake. But everyone else just sees gibberish.

Jargon: The Invisible Wall

• A study by Trajectory & Fleet Street (UK) found only 11% of people surveyed felt they thoroughly understood the term “carbon offsetting”, and just 4% felt confident defining “circular economy”. Meanwhile, simpler terms like “recycling” or “locally grown” scored much higher in comprehension. Read more here: Sustainable Brands

• Also: “mitigation,” “carbon neutral,” “tipping points” etc., in a UN Foundation/USC study confused many people. Some associated “mitigation” with legal stuff; “carbon neutral” was muddled with “zero emissions.” Read more here: Grist

• In sustainability reports, large firms show huge variation in how terms are used, and often use technical or sector-specific jargon that people outside the field don’t understand. Read more here: ResearchGate

So yes! There are numbers to prove jargon is a barrier, not just an annoyance.

Acronym Dictionary From Another Planet

• WASH – Sounds like a detergent aisle product. Actually: Water, Sanitation & Hygiene.

• IWRM – Could be Apple’s next gadget. Actually: Integrated Water Resources Management.

• TMDL – Feels like a new K-pop band. Actually: Total Maximum Daily Load (pollution regulation).

• ESG – Looks like an SUV model. Actually: Environmental, Social, Governance.

• BOD/COD – Video game? Nope. Biochemical/Chemical Oxygen Demand.

• SDGs – Sneaker brand vibes. Actually: Sustainable Development Goals.

• LCA – Could pass as a luxury clothing label. Actually: Life Cycle Assessment.

• HRWS – Sounds like a law firm. Actually: Human Right to Water and Sanitation.

• GWP – Is that a wrestling federation? Actually: Global Warming Potential.

• BMPs – Feels like a band reunion tour. Actually: Best Management Practices.

• LMICs – Is that a new boy band? No, it’s Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

• EIAs – Could be aliens. Actually: Environmental Impact Assessments.

• GW/SW – Sounds like subway lines in New York. Actually: Ground Water/Surface Water.

Why Do We Do This To Ourselves?

Acronyms save space in technical reports and make you feel like part of the club. But they also:

• Exclude people who could be allies, partners, funders.

• Dilute urgency in plain sight.

• Turn powerful ideas into background noise.

And the kicker? Communication science shows people remember stories and simple words more than letter salads.

Confessions of a Jargon Addict

"I once said ‘multi-stakeholder platform for WASH interventions’ at a family dinner. My cousin thought I was talking about dishwasher pods. I’ve never been invited back.”

We’ve all been there. Acronyms make us sound smart, but the side effect is instant audience coma.

The Fix: Translate, Don’t Intimidate

1. Spell it out first: Once is enough.

2. Rewrite like a human: Instead of “IWRM framework with BMPs,” say “a plan to manage rivers so people and ecosystems both get water.”

3. Test drive: If your neighbor thinks ESG is a car brand, maybe rethink your phrasing.

4. Tell a story: People remember “your cotton T-shirt took 2,700 liters of water to make,” not “LCA results show X liters per kg fiber.”

Bottom Line

If the goal is action, not just admiration from your peers, clarity beats cleverness every time.

Acronyms may impress in the boardroom, but in the real world, they’re walls. And when the stakes are water and climate, walls are the last thing we need.