Less is More: Approaching Water Security and Sustainability from the Demand Side

Abstract

Limiting our demands for water is one of the best ways to reduce risk and increase security. The need for greater attention to water demand has come to be widely accepted over the past decade. However, it has not generally been considered in the context of natural disasters. This presentation looks at three time frames within which a role for reductions in demand for water can be explored: emergency (weeks to months) when the focus is on staying alive; medium term (next 10 to 20 years) when the focus is on efficiency of water services; and long term (beyond 20 years) when the focus is on sustainability. Reserve sectors and restrictions on use are appropriate for emergency situations. Conventional and extended forms of demand management are appropriate for the medium term. More transformative measures, which focus on changes in behaviour patterns and economic structure, are appropriate for the long term. These approaches make the efforts to reduce water demand less a choice of technology than a form of governance, and, therefore, all the elements of political economy come into play.