Action needed to address growing water scarcity

With increasing population and rapid urbanisation, sustainable development needs to be accelerated multifold to meet the needs of future generations while minimising the impact on climate. In recent times, several corporates, and even countries have committed to becoming carbon-neutral, net-zero emissions, shift to renewable energy, etc. to tackle the effects of climate change. But an important aspect that needs an equally urgent and decisive action is water management. Water is essential to sustain life and water scarcity is expected to severely impact our ecosystems in the future.

UN data shows that over 30% of the world’s population lives in water-stressed countries, including India. Water scarcity is expected to cause huge displacement of people globally as early as 2030. A holistic approach to water management is needed to ensure the quality and availability of water at individual, community, and ecosystem levels.

At the individual level, water management is about focusing on demand-side measures to reduce water consumption as much as possible. Initiatives such as low flow taps, low flow showers, dual flush Water Closets (WCs) and plugging leakages play an important role in reducing water consumption. Smart water meters enable accurate monitoring of water consumption for various purposes and give an indication of leakages and opportunities for savings. This can lead to a reduction in water-related costs. A normalised measure at an individual level would be to measure the amount of water used per person or per unit of goods/services produced – also called ‘water footprint’.

Tracking the water footprint accurately can help us understand water consumption patterns at an individual level and accordingly implement water conservation measures. Water management on an individual level is important as it involves behavioural change, societal awareness, and transformation towards water conservation.

At a community level, water management is about carefully studying the impact of a facility on its surroundings. This can be related to the discharge of rainwater, wastewater, and usage of groundwater. Effective rainwater harvesting in a facility can not only prevent flooding in the surroundings but can also improve the groundwater table, thereby helping the neighbourhood. A large facility with its own sewage treatment plant and reusing the treated wastewater effectively can reduce freshwater demand significantly.

Study of existing waterways, canals, stormwater drains, and effective stormwater management during infrastructure development can prevent flooding during rains and make water available at all times of the year. Techniques such as groundwater recharge of rainwater, rainwater tanks for storing rooftop rainwater for potable purposes, and creating ponds/reservoirs for the temporary storage of rainwater can go a long way in ensuring good water management.

Data from locations with both excess and scarcity of water show that there are opportunities for better water management and adequacy throughout the year.

On a larger scale, water management impacts the ecosystem, and this is clearly visible in our lakes and water bodies. Untreated sewage from residences and effluents from industries entering the lakes can have a devastating effect on the biodiversity of flora and fauna and destroy the ecosystem completely. A clear example is the condition of lakes in our cities, which has deteriorated severely over the past few decades and has affected the ecosystem in a negative way. This needs to be addressed at the municipal or city level. Technologies are available today to achieve the highest quality of treated wastewater that can be used for several purposes.

While there are challenges, there are also several opportunities, skills, and technologies available today, that can be harnessed to make good progress in this space. We need bold and urgent commitments, and decisive action to address water scarcity, to implement effective and holistic water management, thereby move towards achieving water availability and clean water access for all.

(The writer is Regional Head, Infrastructure, Infosys.)