UNDP: The Bottled Metric
Costa Rica has never faced a widespread drinking water shortage, and that abundance has contributed to a culture of waste. But in 2025, the country experienced its most severe drought on record.
For UNDP, we created The Bottled Metric, a simple tool that translates daily water consumption into the equivalent number of 2-liter bottles, making water use visible, understandable, and actionable.
Changing a habit starts with making it visible.
The problem wasn't a lack of data, but a lack of connection. Costa Ricans didn't see their water consumption as excessive because scarcity had never been part of their daily reality.
The challenge was to shift behavior without creating alarm, turning abstract figures into something people could easily understand and apply in everyday life.
A local tool with regional impact.
The Bottled Metric was embraced by media outlets, influencers, and even a former President of Costa Rica, generating more than $3.2 million in earned media value.
Its impact extended beyond public awareness. The tool was incorporated into Costa Rica’s 2025 Ministry of Public Education curriculum, with the potential to reach 58,000 teachers and 1.12 million students — nearly 22% of the country’s population.
It was also adopted by the Latin America and Caribbean Educators Network, reaching 51,000 teachers across the nine countries most affected by drought in the region.
