Implementation Of Water Demand Management Research Articles

The costs and benefits of water demand management: evidence from New Zealand

Worldwide, there has been an increasing trend for water supply managers to look towards the use of water demand management (WDM) initiatives as an alternative to other more traditional approaches for ensuring that water supply can meet demand. Despite increasing recognition of the wide range of benefits possible through these WDM initiatives, there are few published works that are readily accessible to decision makers laying out concepts and methods through which a valuation of WDM initiatives can be made. To address the issue, this paper describes a comprehensive framework to evaluate WDM and alternative initiatives. It describes the results of applying the framework ex-post to the assessment of WDM initiatives put in place by Tauranga City Council in New Zealand. This case study is one of the leading examples of the implementation of WDM in New Zealand, and provides a strong value case for investigating other possible applications of WDM.

Water demand management in Yemen and Jordan: addressing power and interests

This paper investigates the extent to which entrenched interests of stakeholder groups both maintain water use practice, and may be confronted. The focus is on the agricultural sectors of Yemen and Jordan, where water resource policymakers face resistance in their attempts to reduce water use to environmentally sustainable levels through implementation of water demand management (WDM) activities. Some farmers in both countries that have invested in irrigated production of high-value crops (such as qat and bananas) benefit from a political economy that encourages increased rather than reduced water consumption. The resultant over-exploitation of water resources affects groups in unequal measures. Stakeholder analysis demonstrates that the more ‘powerful’ groups (chiefly the large landowners and the political elites, as well as the ministries of irrigation over which they exert influence) are generally opposed to reform in water use, while the proponents of WDM (e.g. water resource managers, environmental ministries and NGOs, and the international donor community) are found to have minimal influence over water use policy and decisionmaking. Efforts and ideas attempted by this latter group to challenge the status quo are classified here as either (a) influencing or (b) challenging the power asymmetry, and the merits and limits of both approaches are discussed. The interpretation of evidence suggests current practice is likely to endure, but may be more effectively challenged if a long-term approach is taken with an awareness of opportunities generated by windows of opportunity and the participation of ‘overlap groups’.

Discussion on the Demand Management of Water Resources

Abstract Scientific and rational and efficient water demand management of water resources management system reform in China is an important program and innovation, though analysis of the concepts, methods, measures and content of the research and implementation of water demand management explore the smallest, most cost effective and integrated resource planning principles into the description of water demand management, to strengthen water demand management, control demand growth will help to meet the water demand and supply with the sustainable use of water resources.

Capacity, Capability, Collaboration, and Commitment: How Social Networks Influence Practitioners of Municipal Water Demand Management Policy in Ontario, Canada

Water demand management (WDM) practitioners will always need sufficient political will and financial resources to implement their WDM agenda. In addition, however, this research found that those elements, even when supported by a local champion, are insufficient to initiate and sustain municipal WDM. The research results affirmed that social networks have dynamic structure and function. The network's function is critical to WDM because it establishes membership parameters (e.g., deciding who is included and excluded), facilitates and regulates information exchange (e.g., through defining research questions and undertaking a research agenda), and reinforces the community's knowledge (e.g., through meetings and articulation, either implicit or explicit, of priorities and norms). These findings support the premise that adjustments in WDM research and practice is valuable. The research has shown the Ontario network makes a significant contribution to generating additional data, information, and knowledge and is a source of momentum behind the implementation of a municipal water efficiency agenda. The results indicate that a closer focus on the individuals who are responsible for implementing programs is necessary to help make WDM programs more successful. Understanding the social networks of those actively engaged in WDM implementation will be essential.Environmental Practice 10:42–52 (2008)

Social interaction in water demand management implementation

This article describes a successful awareness and education project undertaken in an East Rand township by the Water Cycle Management Section of Rand Water. The Project's focus was to create awareness in the community of the broad concept of water cycle management within an environment and to transfer skills to community members (facilitators) who could then assist in ensuring effective and efficient water use.

An analysis of water consumption and prospects for implementing water demand management at household level in the City of Harare, Zimbabwe

The water problems facing Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital city, are well documented, and affect some 3 million people residing in the City and the nearby towns of Chitungwiza, Epworth, Ruwa and Norton, whose water supplies are interlinked with that of Harare. These problems relate to pollution and frequent water shortages, and are due to demand outstripping supply, unplanned settlements, poor planning, financial mismanagement and lack of robust governance structures and mechanisms. Traditional approaches to solving the problem such as developing new water sources do not hold much promise because of lack of finance. Water demand management offers a solution as it facilitates efficient use of the limited water resources. The paper presents results of a study carried out to assess the possibility of implementing water demand management at household level in residential areas of different socio-economic status in Harare. The study found that implementation of water demand management at household level was hindered by poor physical infrastructure, lack of information dissemination and training at the household level and lack of institutional capacity of the department responsible for water supply. The City can therefore be said to be not well equipped to implement effective water demand management strategies.

Overcoming constraints to the implementation of water demand management in southern Africa

This paper presents results of a study on water demand management status and overcoming constraints to implementation of water demand management in the southern African region, as part of Phase II of water demand management (WDM) programme implemented by the IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The study was conducted in Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study methodology consisted of a survey of literature, and interviewing and communicating with stakeholders in order to learn from stakeholders on the critical constraints to WDM implementation and strategies to overcome them. The study has shown that, despite the potential savings that would accrue from implementation of WDM, the water sector across the southern African region continues to focus on water supply augmentation. There are inadequate financial and human resources for rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of water conveyance systems resulting in system leaks, which contribute to high levels of unaccounted-for water, a situation that masks the potential benefits of WDM. In most countries, the water sector operates on ad-hoc sub-sector water user objectives, which provided guidelines only for development and management purposes. Most of the institutional frameworks have remained diffuse, resulting into poor performance in the sector, and into crisis management in the water resources development. Though the WDM policy in most countries is already accessible through guidelines for catchment management institutions and water supply institutions; there is a lack of broad commitment to implementing them. In other countries the instruments are relatively new and have not been applied widely. Similarly, the effectiveness of instruments has not been well evaluated in most countries. In countries where policy is weak there is often a lack of clarity as to who is responsible for WDM implementation, and even less clarity on who is responsible for facilitating and monitoring implementation, and taking appropriate action when a serious case of non-performance occurs. Thus, one of the main strategies to overcome constraints to implementing WDM in the region is through high-level advocacy to increase awareness among the stakeholders at different levels on the needs and benefits of WDM. There is also need for capacity building that target the private and public sector planners responsible for development of proposals, as well as at scheme managers and operators who have to implement WDM. The results of study have indicated that it is not sufficient to know how to implement WDM. One needs to know what requires implementation, when to implement it, how to select and motivate the most appropriate parties to implement it and how to audit the results.

Building new WDM regulations for the Namibian tourism sector on factors influencing current water-management practices at the enterprise level

Namibia’s aridity is forcing its water sector to resort to new water resource management approaches, including water demand management (WDM). Such a change in management approach is facilitated through the country’s opportunity at independence to rewrite and adapt its old policies, including those for water and tourism. Legal support for WDM through the Water Act and other sector-specific Acts is crucial to plan the practical implementation of WDM throughout the different water use sectors of Namibia. In order to be able to put the policy into practice, it is imperative to understand which factors motivate people to adopt WDM initiatives. Within the Namibian tourism industry three main factors have been identified which influence the water-management approaches at tourist facilities. This paper discusses how the water and tourism decision makers can consider these factors when developing new regulations to introduce WDM in the tourism sector.