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Building Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
News Release from: CIWEM | Subject: Reservoirs
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 03 March 2006
Reservoirs - a response to drought?
CIWEM has issued a statement concerning the construction of reservoirs, urging proposed schemes to explore the full environmental, economic and social impact they have within a global context.
CIWEM has issued a statement concerning the construction of reservoirs, urging proposed schemes to explore the full environmental, economic and social impact they have within a global context For over 5000 years, reservoirs have provided water and power
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 1 Sep 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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However, their construction may cause the relocation of people and their livelihoods and can have significant environmental impacts.
There is a lively debate as to whether the social and environmental impacts outweigh the benefits.
Nick Reeves, Executive Director of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), says: "The decision as to whether the construction of a reservoir produces an overall gain, in respect to the interests of all stakeholders over short and long term timescales, is far from straightforward".
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"Our policy statement considers the issues involved in a global context." Reservoirs ensure that water is still available during drought periods, without having to over-abstract from rivers and harm the environment.
Other benefits include floodwater control, renewable power generation, irrigation, conservation and recreational use.
However, with increasing pressure on water resources and clearer implications of climate change, many question if reservoirs are the solution, especially in the south east.
Disadvantages can include loss of high quality agricultural land, displacement of people, changes to downstream flow patterns and impacts on fish migration and microclimates.
But many of the negative environmental impacts associated with reservoirs can be mitigated and CIWEM emphasises that such measures should be undertaken wherever appropriate.
Proposed schemes must be subject to full environmental, economic and social impact assessment and all other ways of meeting demand should be considered.
All stakeholders should be consulted throughout the process, ensuring that the selected scheme meets the needs of those most affected by it.
With the latest climate change scenarios indicating more extreme droughts, CIWEM also urges better water demand management, such as leakage reduction, more efficient water-using appliances and metering with appropriate tariffs, to help reduce the need for water.
CIWEM stresses that building a reservoir is not an excuse to continue wasting water through inaction and bad management.
Nick Reeves adds: "The need for water for living, growing food and for renewable, non-polluting power is paramount to society".
"Storing wet season runoff is a long term sustainable method of providing this".
"However, reservoir schemes need careful environmental and social impact studies in order to test their viability and all appropriate measures should be taken to minimise any negative impacts.".
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