Sustainable Water Consumption Strategies in a Changing Climate

Abstract

Water consumption is a fundamental global need.  Water production consumes lots of energy and emits plenty of greenhouse gases.  Determining the carbon footprint of water can offer various benefits. Reducing water use and conserving water can lead to lower energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, lower monthly water and energy costs, and less demand for water.  As carbon neutrality gradually prevails, low carbon emissions have become the future global trend and goal.  Therefore, it is crucial to understand the relationship between water consumption and carbon emissions. As most countries struggle to reduce their carbon emissions in response to global warming, investments in water conservation, efficiency, and reuse are among the most cost-effective energy and carbon reduction strategies.  Urban water infrastructures have been demonstrated to contribute to global CO2 emissions significantly, and buildings account for a large portion of most urban water consumption.  Notably, while there is abundant rainfall in Taiwan, there appears to be a frequent water shortage crisis.  Such a crisis is aggravated by climate change because of the more unpredictable seasonal changes.  Climate change is linked to excessive anthropogenic carbon emissions.  This study focuses on five types of buildings with various missions and usage on the National Taiwan University campus.  These infrastructures are typically deemed as having significant water consumption at National Taiwan University: (1) Residential buildings, (2) Experimental buildings, (3) Experimental farms, (4) the Department of Animal Science and (5) Lecture halls.  The specific objectives of this project are to uncover the nexus between thermal comfort and water consumption and the relationship between water consumption and hydro-meteorological and anthropogenic factors.