On a rainy island devastating droughts seem distant, but spring and summer hosepipe bans aren’t the only reason to improve water stewardship. Here’s an expert’s guide to becoming more responsible with our most precious resource.
Chatting to a colleague at the London Sustainability Forum recently generated some fascinating discussions around how your unique circumstances can change how you value and treat water – one of our most precious, yet threatened resources.
Much of the focus around water conservation tends to be on regions facing acute and often very visible water scarcity. From California to the Middle East, policymakers emphasise the importance of reducing consumption, and unsurprisingly our habits adjust accordingly if we are travelling to these water-scarce areas.
However, an overlooked but equally crucial focus for water sustainability lies in water-rich areas. In these regions, the perception of plenty fosters complacency. Because water appears to be an unlimited resource, people are less inclined to conserve it. The lack of immediate crises or restrictions creates an illusion of abundance, with our behaviour often seamlessly switching to excessive consumption and wasteful habits.
In water-rich areas, behavioural interventions are essential to counteract the perception of limitless supply, whereas the opposite is true of arid areas – scarcity forces conservation by necessity, although notoriously rainy countries like England and Scotland do face shortages due to demand, aging and leaky infrastructure, and climate disruption.
So we need to focus on ingraining conservation into our culture, everywhere. Schools, workplaces, and communities can integrate water stewardship as a way of life, woven into everyday habits. This reinforces the approach that conservation is not just for drought-prone regions, but a universal responsibility. Public campaigns that frame water conservation as an ethical and communal duty, can reshape behaviours and ensure that abundance does not breed apathy.
A nudge, not a trickle
We need to harness change tools to create lasting habits – despite the importance of water-saving behaviours for managing water scarcity, most research focuses on adoption. A key gap in our understanding relates to what influences whether behaviours are maintained. For example, the household is an important physical setting for behaviours, providing cues that are necessary to form habits.
Preventing wastefulness is key – long showers, excessive lawn watering, or leaving the taps running can all be countered with simple reminders. Placing signs to help ‘nudge’ better habits near taps, use of smart showers, water monitoring tools or smart water meters, all help to instil awareness and encourage more mindful usage. One study has shown that providing hotel guests with messages about water use while they are taking a shower can reduce the length of time they spend showering by more than 25%.
Achieving global water equity is important – while some regions have plenty, others struggle with severe shortages. Using ‘nudges’ and promoting conservation everywhere fosters a global mindset of responsible water use, reducing waste and supporting policies for equitable water distribution.
Water-rich areas will benefit from recognising that sustainability is not about responding to crises, but preventing them. Behavioural ‘nudges’ provide an essential mechanism to pre-empt future water challenges by curbing waste, promoting mindful consumption, and ensuring a stable supply for generations to come.
Even in places that are lucky to have ample water, most of the time, excessive consumption can contribute to damaged eco-systems, such as depleted aquifers, river pollution, and energy-intensive water treatment processes. ‘Nudges’ can play a key role in encouraging sustainable practices that help to protect our local environments.
Hidden costs of overuse
Despite the apparent abundance of water in some regions, overuse delivers significant environmental and economic consequences. High consumption places strain on infrastructure, leading to the over-extraction of groundwater and increased energy usage for treatment and distribution.
Moreover, climate change is altering precipitation patterns, resulting in more rain across higher latitudes, while it is projected to decrease over large parts of the subtropics.
Preparing for the future
Water abundance today does not guarantee abundance tomorrow. Climate change is shifting rainfall patterns, causing an increasing number of droughts. Just think of the UK in 2022. Coupled with population growth increasing demand, behavioural change in water-rich areas is a proactive approach to long-term resilience.
By implementing behavioural change techniques now, societies can ensure they are prepared for future water challenges. Just as recycling programs changed waste management habits, and energy-efficient appliances became the norm, water conservation must become an everyday practice – even in places where water is not yet scarce.
Steve Harding, founder and CEO at Showerkap, a pioneering UK green tech company. Its platform enables businesses to move towards net zero by monitoring and managing water and energy usage in granular detail.
Image: Stephen Tafra / Unsplash
More features and opinion: