This article is written by Yuen Yoong Leong, Director of Sustainability Studies at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and Professor at Sunway University, and Wing Thye Woo, Vice President for Asia at the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, with appointments at the University of Malaya, Penang Institute, Sunway University, the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the University of California Davis.

  • The problem: Demand for water is rising as a result of rapid population growth, urbanisation and increasing water needs from agriculture, industry and energy sectors. Yet, water is managed unsustainably worldwide, with over two billion people living in countries where water supply is inadequate.
  • Why it matters: Sustainable water management is a core pillar of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is essential not only to health but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education.
  • The solution: Innovative measures, such as stormwater prevention, are needed to maximise water management more sustainably.

In the coming years, the competition for water between the residential, industrial and agricultural sectors will drastically increase, straining the lifeblood of ecosystems — water. In fact, nearly one in every two people will live in water-stressed areas by 2030 and the consequences of dry ecosystems are extensive and far-reaching. Impacts include reduced productivity, loss of biodiversity, landscape damages and economic hardship. For example, the Aral Sea in Central Asia, once the world’s fourth largest lake — home to 24 species of fish and surrounded by fishing communities, lush forests and wetlands is now dried up, devastating the region’s once prosperous fishing industry. Water scarcity also results in an increase in energy consumption, especially within urban areas. The greatest consumer of electricity in cities is the water and sewerage sector, which is responsible for around 40% of total urban energy consumption.

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To rise to this resource challenge and prevent the worst effects of water scarcity in vulnerable regions, innovation is desperately needed to maximise water management more sustainably. However, producing drinking water is highly energy-intensive due to the complex treatment process and the operations of its required infrastructure (pumps, membranes and other equipment that all run on electricity).

Additionally, over a quarter (26%) of water operators' operating costs are driven by electricity alone, followed by staff, maintenance, chemicals and energy use increases when water needs to be pumped over long distances or infrastructure is aged and inefficient.

Addressing water management challenges

To overcome these obstacles, several countries have implemented electricity tariff reductions for water and sanitation operators, with the aim of improving service delivery. While this approach — like the 82% reduction in Malaysia last year — may address immediate water quality concerns, it raises questions about the alignment with long-term decarbonisation and energy efficiency goals. Studies show that subsidised electricity prices often lead to increased consumption, potentially undermining progress towards sustainability.

Optimising water management requires synergy between improved operational efficiency and mindful water consumption by consumers. Thus, raising water tariffs for consumers can be a strategic tool to encourage conservation, as recently demonstrated by Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.

Reducing stormwater runoff

Another complementary method for improved water management is stormwater prevention, as rain that falls on the rooftops is usable. However, once it runs off the rooftops onto the streets, it becomes polluted stormwater that burdens the water treatment system. Significant rainfall when not managed adequately, can result in flooding and sewage backup.

Reducing stormwater runoff can also offer benefits including protecting local freshwater ecosystems from pollutants, lessening erosion impacts on creeks and streams and recharging aquifers.

We need a paradigm shift in our thinking to resolve this administrative barrier between public and private properties.

Flood management is conventionally done in a linear manner, i.e. with costly pipes that maximise the rapid and efficient drainage of rainfall. However, there is great potential in capturing rainwater and releasing it slowly over permeable areas to percolate into the groundwater table. By doing so, captured rainwater could be used to restore groundwater, irrigate landscapes and meet other water needs, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This new paradigm can free cities from the never-ending quest of expanding pipes and energy-intensive pumping and treatment facilities.

Optimising rooftops for water management

As rooftops make up roughly 60% of the total city impermeable area, they are the main sources of stormwater runoff and cities will need to adopt innovative solutions to prevent this runoff.

For example, one of the winners of the World Economic Forum’s UpLink Global Freshwater Innovation Challenge 2023 has proposed a method of stopping rainwater from running off the rooftops using smart city technology.

The property-based rooftop runoff prevention digital network enables the calculation of savings on stormwater treatment and verifiable ecosystem credits — stormwater retention, potable water demand offsets, associated scope 2 carbon emissions and ecosystem restoration. When accrued over an entire community, the ecosystem credits can be substantial.

**A new paradigm for water security and adaptability **

Across the globe, nations are actively integrating climate resilience into their urban planning, harnessing the power of nature-based solutions. Diverse approaches are showcased in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Utility-owned and managed green infrastructure assets are usually implemented on public property, while distributed residential and commercial property-based green infrastructure is typically not integrated into the asset management planning or costing of water utilities. We need a paradigm shift in our thinking to resolve this administrative barrier between public and private properties.

Moreover, we need innovative solutions to water management, such as a property-based rooftop runoff prevention digital network that can reduce stress on water treatment facilities, recharge groundwater, preclude flooding and improve water quality.

As we look toward this year’s World Water Day on March 22, city councils, energy transition and water transformation ministries, natural resources, environment and climate change ministries, education ministries and citizens should seize the moment to build a circular blue economy by adopting innovative, decentralised approaches to strengthen national and regional water security and adaptability in the face of a changing climate.

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