Water Resources

The AuthorsAlexander Lane specialises in the development of water strategy and planning that acknowledges the interrelationships between water, other natural resources and human interests. As a consultant in the UK and Australia, Alex has advised a diverse range of public bodies and global companies on the preparation and implementation of robust and sustainable approaches to the management of water that deliver not just immediate gains, but also long-term and mutually beneficial outcomes. Michael Norton is an expert in water engineering and management, has contributed to over 100 studies and projects in 20 countries, and was awarded an MBE for his outstanding services to water and international trade. With experience in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia, Michael's technical interests include water security, water footprint, sustainable wastewater treatment, urban drainage and the water-food-energy system. He now provides consultancy to private sector, public sector, government and non-government organisations on a regional, national and international scale. Sandra Ryan specialises in strategic water resource planning, focusing on finding traditional and alternative solutions in situations where demand for water exceeds the resource available for supply. With a career background in water utility based water resource planning and regulation in the UK, Sandra is transferring these technical principles to clients in the industrial and commercial sectors battling water risks, and national and local governments seeking to build resilience.

"This is a well written book on a subject of ever increasing importance, it seems, at best, very unlikely that water stress will go away anytime soon and is highly recommended. I'm delighted to have it on my shelves and imagine that it might be rather well thumbed in a few years' time." Geoscientist Online

• Series Editor Foreword – Challenges in Water Management xiForeword xiiiPreface xvAcknowledgements xviiList of Abbreviations xixUnits and Conversion xxiGlossary xxiiiPart I Setting the Scene 11 Water Resources in the Twenty-First Century 31.1 A Looming Crisis 31.2 Human Interactions with Water in the Biosphere 41.3 An Inspiring Challenge 6References 62 Fundamentals of Water Management 72.1 The Planetary Picture 72.1.1 The Blue Planet 72.1.2 Water and the Biosphere 82.1.3 Distinguishing between Hydrology and Water Resources 102.2 Evolution of Water Resource Systems 112.2.1 Hydroclimates and Water Resources 122.2.2 Mechanisms of Human Interactions with Water Fluxes 182.2.3 Anthropogenic Influence: The Traditional Urban Water Cycle 202.2.4 Anthropogenic Influence: Advancements in the Urban Water Cycle 242.2.5 Anthropogenic Influence: Agriculture 252.3 Water, Society and the Biosphere 262.3.1 Water and Civilisation 262.3.2 The Human Right to Water 272.3.3 Population Growth and Mobility 292.3.4 Disparity between Water Resources and Population 302.3.5 Ability to Access Local Water Resources 302.3.6 Different Types of Water Scarcity 322.3.7 Ability to Access Distant Water Resources 332.3.8 Modern Water Politics 33References 37Part II Stresses and Strains 413 Key Concepts 433.1 Water Fluxes in Space and Time 433.2 Mechanisms of Human Interaction with Water Fluxes 453.3 Water Stress and Water Scarcity 473.4 Virtual Water and the Water Footprint 493.5 Live, Eat, Consume: The Conceptual Framework of Water Stress and VirtualWater 58References 614 Live 634.1 Introduction 634.2 Water and Energy 634.2.1 The Nexus of Water and Energy 634.2.2 Energy Use in Water Management 654.2.3 Water Use in Energy Production 724.3 Urbanisation 864.3.1 The Rise of the City 864.3.2 Peri]Urban Communities 884.3.3 Traditional Approaches to the Management of Urban Water Supply and Demand 904.3.4 Alternative Approaches to Urban Water Supply 914.3.5 Demand Management and the Role of Water Pricing 974.3.6 Using Water to Meet Urban Demands for Other Resources 1004.3.7 Flooding in Urban Environments 1024.3.8 Opportunities and Challenges of Urban Water Management 106References 1105 Eat 1175.1 The Hidden Water in Food 1185.1.1 How Much Water is Hidden in Food? 1185.1.2 The Impact of Water Use in the Global Food System 1205.2 An Increasingly Important Problem 1245.2.1 Population Growth 1245.2.2 Changing Diet 1265.2.3 Food Waste 1295.2.4 Food as a Globalised Commodity 1315.2.5 Climate Change 1335.3 How to Respond to the Water/Food Conundrum 1355.3.1 Improving the Efficiency of Water Use in the Global Food System 1355.3.2 The Importance of Consumer Education 1455.3.3 Improve Governance of Water Use for Food Production 148References 1506 Consume 1566.1 Impact of Consumerism on Water Management 1566.1.1 Water as the Essential Economic Ingredient 1566.1.2 Hidden Demand 1576.2 Water Use in Industry: Which Sectors Use the Most? 1586.3 Water Use in Industry: Which Activities Use the Most? 1616.3.1 Agriculture: Water to Produce Non]Food Goods 1616.3.2 Mining for Minerals 1666.3.3 Manufacturing 1696.4 Water Risk: Recognising the Magnitude of the Problem 1706.5 Water Risk: Defining and Quantifying the Risk 1736.5.1 Physical Risks 1736.5.2 Geopolitical Risks 1756.5.3 Reputational Risks 1786.5.4 Social and Community Risks and Impacts 1796.5.5 Regulatory Risks 1796.5.6 Financial Implications of Water Risks 1816.6 Managing Risks and Seizing Opportunities: The Path to Maturity 1816.6.1 The Age of Taking Water for Granted 1826.6.2 The Age of Water Reduction 1846.6.3 The Age of Water Stewardship 186References 190Part III Existing Water Architecture 1957 Existing Management of Water Resources 1977.1 Governance 1977.2 Structure of Water Management 1987.3 The Role of Policy in Decision Making 2017.4 Types of Policy and their Development 2027.4.1 Water Policy for Domestic Supply 2037.4.2 Water Policy for Agriculture 2067.4.3 Water Policy for Industry 2087.5 The Rise of Decentralisation and Consultation 2097.6 Regulation of Water Management 2107.6.1 Regulating Sources of Water 2117.6.2 Regulating Drinking Water and Non]Potable Quality 2147.6.3 Managing Demands for Water and Enforcing Best Practice 2157.6.4 Regulating Wastewater Treatment and Disposal 2167.6.5 Regulating Environmental Conditions 2177.7 Regulatory Models 2187.8 Regulatory Phases: Unregulated versus Highly Regulated 2197.8.1 The Unregulated or Lightly Regulated Phase 2207.8.2 The Over]Regulated Phase 2217.8.3 The Mature Phase 2227.9 Governance Silos 2237.10 Breaking the Silos and Integrating Water Supply Policy 2247.11 Evolution of Integrated Water Resource Management 2277.12 Traditional Water Planning Responsibilities versus a Corporate-Driven ‘Water Risk’ Agenda 2317.13 Summary 231References 2328 Ownership and Investment 2378.1 Public versus Private Ownership Models 2378.1.1 A New Era of Privatisation 2388.1.2 A Backlash Against Privatisation 2398.1.3 Reflections on the Public versus Private Debate 2408.2 Investment Models and the Economics of Water Management 2418.2.1 Current and Future Forecast Levels of Investment 2418.2.2 Meeting Investment Needs 2438.3 Summary 246References 246Part IV Moving to a New Water Architecture 2499 Challenges and Opportunities 2519.1 A New Water Architecture: An Introduction 2519.2 Challenges 2529.2.1 Stresses and Strains 2529.2.2 Current Architecture of Water Management 2549.3 Opportunities 2559.3.1 Emergence of Virtual Water Concepts in Water Policy 2559.3.2 Emergence of Multi]Stakeholder Approaches to Water Policy 2579.3.3 Reform of Water Policy as Opportunity 2589.4 A Systems Approach to Water Management 2609.4.1 Principles of Systems Thinking 2609.4.2 Integrated Management of Water at a Catchment Scale 2619.4.3 Cyclical Management and Allocation of Water Resources 264References 26510 Conceptual Integration 26610.1 Societal View of the Value of Water 26710.1.1 The ‘Free’ Resource 26710.1.2 Price Signals in Drinking Water Supply 26710.1.3 Price Signals Related to Water in Food and Other Goods 26810.2 Water as an Under-Valued Resource: The Consequences 26910.2.1 Profligacy 26910.2.2 Poor Water Management and Decision Making 26910.3 Moving to Conceptual Integration 27010.3.1 A New Appreciation of the Role and Value of Water 27010.3.2 The Role of Water Professionals 271References 27211 Institutional Integration 27311.1 Requirements for Delivering Integrated Solutions 27311.1.1 Vertical Integration 27411.1.2 Horizontal Integration 27511.2 The Challenges of Delivering Integrated Solutions 27611.2.1 The State of Play 27611.2.2 Causes and Barriers 27611.3 The Role of Governments 27711.4 The Importance of Education 28111.5 The Role of Private Organisations 28311.6 The Importance of Knowledge Transfer and the Benefits of the Digital Revolution 28511.7 The Role of Non-Governmental Organisations 28711.8 How to Finance Change 28711.9 Conclusions: Institutional Enablers 289References 29012 Physical Integration 29312.1 The Need for Change 29412.1.1 Existing Limitations 29412.1.2 Barriers to Change 29712.1.3 Overcoming the Barriers 29812.2 Integrating Green and Grey Infrastructure to Slow Down Water 29912.3 The Storage Continuum 30112.4 Creating Hybrid Water Management Systems 30512.4.1 The Challenge of Maintenance and Long]Term Responsibility 30712.5 Circular Systems that Transform ‘Wastes’ to ‘Resources’ 30812.6 Conclusions 312References 31313 A Way Forward 31613.1 Conceptual Integration 31613.2 Institutional Integration 31813.3 Physical Integration 31913.4 Summary 320Index 321