Water Demand Management (WDM) for Pacific Island Countries

Description of Intervention

A common characteristic of water demand in urban areas worldwide is its relentless rise over many years, and projections of continuous increase over coming decades. The chief influencing factors are population growth, together with changes in lifestyle, demographic structure and the possible effects of climate change. The detailed implications of climate change are not yet clear, and will depend on global location, but they will certainly increase the uncertainty in the security of water supply. This is compounded by rapid development, creeping urbanisation and, in some places, rising standards of living. SPC (SOPAC) helps member countries to sustainably manage their non-living natural resources.

Since mid-2006 SOPAC have been managing the implementation of the New Zealand’s International Aid and Development Agency funded project “Water Demand Management (WDM) for Pacific Island Countries 2006 – 2009”. A partnership with world leading in this field, Wide Bay Water Corporation, was established in early 2007. Together, these organisations ensure that state-of–the-art WDM techniques and technologies are being implemented, with sustainable capacity built in participating countries to do so.

Problems to be Addressed

The main finding during initial scoping missions in 2006 was the lack of data and data collection equipment. To be suited to take the right steps in the future, a foundation has been laid for understanding the different water supply systems better through metering and data logging of flow and pressure. This data can be analysed in order to create a water balance. A water balance is the first step in any water loss management project and allows you to have an overview of where your water goes. The water balance will let you understand the key demands on your water, to separate the demand into authorised and unauthorised consumption besides allowing you to make high-level predictions about the potential savings that can be made.

In the past, development projects in the water supply sector have mainly concentrated on the upgrading or extension of existing water supply infrastructure. This supply driven approach has proven to be very costly for both the donor and the receiving country and has not led to a safe water supply even for the bigger urban centres in most of the Pacific Islands Countries (PIC). Many of the water supply systems in PIC have problems with water delivery to customers and one of the primary causes is the fact that these systems often lose more water through leakage and wastage than they actually deliver.

With more pressure on limited resources, many PICs have realised that the key to sustainability lies not necessarily in costly infrastructure extension but rather in the sound management of the water already available. This is the basis of a demand management approach where strategies are developed to improve and optimise existing water supply resources and infrastructure, and encourage customers to use water efficiently. Economic, environmental and social benefits are achievable with such an approach.

Aims

Overarching goal: Sustainable access to safe drinking water for communities in Pacific Island countries

Objectives

Improved capacity for water demand management in Pacific urban water utilities

How it fits into the EbA concept

Sustainable management of water by improving existing water supply resources and infrastructure and conservation of natural resources

Relevant Publications

» Butler, D. and Fayyaz M., (Eds). Water Demand Management. IWA Publishing, London, 2006.
» White, S., Ed. Wise Water Management: A Demand Management Manual for Water Utilities, WSAA Research Report No. 86, Water Services Association of Australia, 1998.
» Web page: Adaptation Learning Mechanism. Project Description.
» Web page: Project goal, objective and outputs
» Project Facesheet