Engineering Community Call for Evidence on Global Water Security Inquiry

Engineering the Future, an alliance of engineering organisations, is calling on consultants, utility companies, academics, government agencies and non-governmental organisations to submit evidence to an inquiry into global water security.

Water security presents a growing threat in many parts of the world, with the International Water Management Institute estimating additional water demand of around 30% by 2030. Along with the demand for food and energy, this huge increase in the demand for water is a consequence of increasing standards of living and a global population set to pass 8 billion by 2030.

The Institution of Civil Engineers, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, have come together to undertake the inquiry at the request of Professor John Beddington, the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Government Office for Science.

A range of water related issues will be addressed during the process of the inquiry including drought, domestic supply, irrigation for agriculture, treatment of drinking water flooding and waste management. A report will be published in April next year aimed to highlight to Government, industry and the public, both the challenges we face globally and the approaches that could be adopted.

A steering group chaired by Professor Peter Guthrie from Cambridge University, has been established to run the inquiry. Mike Woolgar (Atkins), Michael Norton (Halcrow), Mike Haigh (Mott MacDonald) and Prof Roger Falconer (Cardiff University) are also members of the expert group.

Professor Guthrie, said: “It is important that the strategic issues surrounding global water security are highlighted. Only then can the solutions be better explored. To bring a broad scope to the inquiry and ensure our report is well informed, we are issuing a call for evidence to a broad range of experts and stakeholders”