Water and energy are key global challenges, and they are strongly interlinked because they affect everyday life. Energy extraction and generation requires water, and the water supply depends on energy. Water is needed for transport, for processing, for fossil fuel extraction, for power generation as well as for irrigation of biofuel feedstock.
The close relationship between water and energy, and its importance as a global challenge requires new and innovative methodologies to deal with the water-energy nexus at different scales.
The complete urban water cycle – from water abstraction to water treatment as well as for used water collection and treatment – requires loads of energy, most of which is used for pumping, and is expected to increase in the future as the scarcer water gets, the longer the pipes and channels necessary to transport it to where it is needed.
Climate change has a very strong connection to energy and water on several levels and this also means that finding new ways that do not use a lot of water, such as wind and solar PV, to supply the required energy, need to be found and utilised. These new non-traditional renewables require negligible amounts of water and will have a profound impact on the water supply.
The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were put in place to ensure affordable clean water and sanitation as well as energy for all. Global hunger is also getting worse, and without adequate access to water and energy, it will be impossible to eliminate hunger.
It is only recently that the energy industry has realised and recognised the interdependencies of water and energy. Primary energy extraction and production has led to a whole spectrum of environmental challenges as well, including the conflicts between oil exploration and water.
Our infrastructures of energy and water are mostly managed in ‘silos’, where the silos not only represent different professions and sectors but also different institutions, and this has to change; they have to be designed and operated in a more integrated manner.
Hire water coolers and purchase water dispensers from Living-Water in London.
