ECI’s Professor Jim Hall joined experts from the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and consultancy firm HR Wallingford this week to provide evidence to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee.
The session explored how England plans for drought resilience, future water supply and demand, and the role of measures such as new reservoirs, leakage reduction, and water efficiency.
Prof Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risk, and Lead of the ECI’s Oxford Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (OPSIS), highlighted the challenges of long-term water planning in the face of climate change and growing industrial demand, underlining the need for robust, evidence-based approaches to keep the UK’s water system resilient.
Prof Hall said it’s not just about having more water:
Addressing the risk of droughts is not just to do with action on the supply side. Reducing the risk of droughts involves action to manage demand and cut water leakage.”
The inquiry provides a timely focus on how the country can prepare for future droughts and safeguard public water supply while protecting the environment.
Watch the session on parliamentlive.tv: Environment and Climate Change Committee Inquiry: Drought Preparedness