UK Irrigation Association
A fair share of water for agriculture?
7th March 2013
TrevorWater
Bishop:
Head of Water
Resources
Rachael Connerton,
Resources
Policy
Advisor
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Preserving Water Security
The Environment Agency: Who we are and what we do!
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Preserving Water Security
Status of Water
Resources
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Water Resources: Secure, Conserve and Prosper
Status of Water Resources
Objectives
•
secure
•
sustainable
• Economic
• Environmental
• Social
•
Resilient
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Preserving Water Security
Drought 2010 - 12
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Preserving Water Security
Drought 2010 - 12
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The Environmental Drought
Develops
Preserving Water Security
Rescue squads sent in to save drought-hit fish
“Drought conditions have so badly affected wildlife in some regions that
rescue parties have been created to save fish from rapidly disappearing
rivers.”
"Never ever has it dried up this early in the year.
It has a terrible effect.”.....”We are running out of rivers to put the
fish in”
Guardian 3 April 2012
7
Preserving Water Security
Drought 2010 – 2012
Early April River flows and reservoir levels
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Preserving Water Security
Drought 2010/12: What was different?
• Awareness of Resilience
• Political Interest
• Drought Governance
• Water Community
• Media
• Public
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DROUGHT
MANAGEMENT SUBGROUP
STRUCTURES
Secretary of
State
National Management Group
Communications
Sub-Group
Cross-cutting Working Group
2012 Management and Response
2013 Planning
Olympics SubGroup
Public
Water
Supply
Private
Water
Supply
Farming
Environment
Economic
Analysis
Water Resources: Secure, Conserve and Prosper
The Public?
Perception about the current situation (Thames Water Customers)
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Preserving Water Security
Drought 2010 – 12: PWS Resilience
Gradual Awareness Raising
More Focused Awareness Raising
Temporary Use Bans (LoS)
Drought Permits and Orders
Emergency Drought Orders
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Preserving Water Security
New drought terminology
Water Resource Situation
Draft: Future options for drought
reporting
Normal
Drought
Developing
Recovering
from Drought
Drought
Severe Drought
Time
Drought – a conceptual framework
Preserving Water Security
Drought: Planning Water Security
• Resilience – we have choices
• Water Resource and Drought Plans
• Planning for today, planning for tomorrow
• Risk and consequences
• Resilience is more than capacity
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Preserving Water Security
Looking to the future
Climate Change
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Population Growth
Preserving Water Security
Climate change
scenarios:
Changes in summer
flows
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Gaps between supply
and demand: 2050’s
Preserving Water Security
Planning Water Security
• Drought
• Agreed decision trigger points
• Cross sector coordination
• Media and communications
• Future Drought
• Climate Change adaptation
• Access and allocation
• Supply Resilience
• Demand management
• Environmental resilience
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Preserving Water Security
Summary
•
Fair allocation of water?
•
Risks to water security are set to
increase – should we address needs
and wants?
•
Water security is an issue for all
sectors – good practice should be
rewarded
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