England and Wales face a significant and growing future risk of drought, and to this end, research commissioned by Water UK has been conducted into the possible effects of population growth, climate change, environmental protection measures and trends in water-use to produce a wide range of future scenarios.
The research deployed brand new modelling techniques and looked 50 years ahead across the whole of England and Wales, which showed that in some cases the UK is facing far more devastating and more frequent droughts than previously predicted. The risk is higher in drier areas such as the south and east of England.
The research has shown that to contain the risk of drought, extensive measures need to be taken in order to manage demand and enhance supply of water, including:
- The promotion of more efficient water use in both private homes and businesses via improving on building standards and the widespread use of smart meters. Reduction in leakage from water mains will also play a major part;
- The movement of more water from one region to another via existing waterways as well as through new pipelines, treating more water for re-use, building new reservoirs, and building desalination plants.
According to the authors of the report, the cost of adopting a step-by-step approach to making the supply of water more resilient to severe droughts will be a mere £4 per annum per household as opposed to an estimated £1.3 billion per day that it would cost the economy during the worst drought situations.
The research was carried out by independent consultants; thereafter it was peer-reviewed by leading experts in climate change, water resources, and environmental management, and according to Jean Spencer, Regulation Director at Anglian Water, who chaired the project, the research is world-class and would provide excellent support for both government and companies in planning for resilient future water resources.
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