Organisational Decision-Making in Water Reuse for Smart Cities (SMART-WaterDomain). Guide To Smart Water Management For Public Administration

Abstract

Climate change is prompting every organisation, regardless of its type, size or sector, to take various actions to limit its negative impact on the environment. Caring for the climate is currently a priority issue, but one should not forget that organisations depend on various environmental resources, including water. Water and climate are inextricably linked. Climate change might reduce water resources and increase water stress in areas affected by sudden, unusual weather events and their intensity. The water challenge may be in the quantity and quality of available resources. What does this mean for the organisation? Reducing the amount of water available or degrading its parameters in municipal management and industrial processes will probably be one of the major challenges. Therefore, like the business sector, public institutions should analyse the availability of water resources in the short and long term and implement interventions aiming at adaptation and mitigation of resource shortages. It requires evaluating how water resources flow, assessing the size of the water footprint and taking preventative action to protect resources effectively and efficiently. One approach to saving water resources is the ability to water reuse. Closing water cycles makes it possible to take less water directly from the environment and to use the same resources more than once. The consideration of water as a critical resource means that every organisation should conduct a detailed analysis and consider the scope of the actions that can be taken in the near future. This guide is aimed at public administration institutions. It offers simple rules and ideas to prepare your institution for a more careful, conscious and organised management of water resources, in particular for closing water cycles and saving water in areas where water stress and climate change could become a critical economic, environmental and social challenge.