Crafting futures together: scenarios for water infrastructure asset management in a context of global change

B Rulleau,D Gilbert,J Gremmel,D Salles,P Bernard,A Giard,A.-E Stricker,E Renaud,B De Grissac,A Husson,E Assouan,Y Le Gat,P Eisenbeis,T Rambonilaza

doi:10.2166/ws.2020.185

Abstract

AbstractDrinking water supply networks play an essential role in protecting the human and economic wellbeing of the territories they serve. To ensure continued quality of service, organisations involved in water infrastructure asset management (WIAM) need to deal with a number of issues related to global change. This paper presents the results of an original interdisciplinary foresight approach carried out by a group of engineering and social scientists, in partnership with a number of stakeholders. The purpose was to examine various possible pathways for the future of a French territory. The full title of our foresight study is: ‘Supplying water destined for human consumption in Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France) up until 2070’. Four scenarios, as contrasted as possible, were designed based on five components: organisation and operation of the water supply service, social demands in terms of drinking water, the governance context, territorial dynamics, and the overall context. We then ran further simulations to visualise what a given infrastructure network would look like under each set of assumptions, and under different territorial configurations. One significant advantage of our foresight approach is the educational value it has for stakeholders and water managers. Foresight makes the future potentially visible and provides an opportunity to discuss it, in order to able to inform decision-making.

Highlights

Drinking water supply networks play an essential role in protecting the human and economic wellbeing of the territories they serve
Our study aims to examine in parallel the technical dimensions of performance, developments in the demands made by society, governance issues, and the effects of climate change, promoting a new integrative approach to the study of Water Infrastructure Asset Management (WIAM)
This paper describes the approach and methodology used in a research project focusing on long-term adaptation of WIAM strategies to create scenarios up until 2070

Summary

Introduction

Drinking water supply networks play an essential role in protecting the human and economic wellbeing of the territories they serve. To ensure continued quality of service, organisations involved in Water Infrastructure Asset Management (WIAM) need to deal with a raft of different issues. The growing influence of climate and global change (e.g. metropolisation and mobility) on drinking water resources (IPCC , ; Vijay et al ). Climate and global change have an effect on lifestyle conditions and sensemaking (Vanderlinden et al ). Exceptional climatic events such as heatwaves can lead to significant spikes in water consumption (Zuo et al )

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion