Hi all,
Climate change is increasing drought and water stress in many parts of the world, including the United States. During times of drought, municipal governments, private water suppliers, and non-profit organizations implement water conservation programs that emphasize behaviors such as repairing household leaks, taking shorter showers, turning off taps, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, and installing low-flow appliances. Can campaigns like these alleviate water stress during droughts? According to a 2020 study, the answer is no.
In 2010, a drought year, 92% of the over 3,000 counties in the lower 48 US states experienced water stress. The study’s authors estimated that if households fully adopted commonly advocated water saving measures, this would release only 174 counties (6% of all continental counties) from water stress. The reason for this is that most of the water withdrawal in the US is not from the domestic or industrial sectors, but from agriculture. This is especially true in the western part of the US. If agricultural water inefficiencies are not addressed, water stress will not be alleviated in most counties. How can these kinds of water inefficiencies be addressed at the individual behavioral level? Practitioners may consider encouraging individuals to modify their diet to reduce their water footprint (e.g., reducing red meat intake). Also, they could advocate for consumers to pressure suppliers to provide information about how well-matched crops are to regional growing conditions. For example, cotton and other high-water-use crops may unnecessarily stress local water supplies in drier regions. Walmart, Kellogg’s, and other major companies are already improving their supply chain and may be more forthcoming with this kind of information if consumers demanded it. Practitioners could also encourage individuals to reduce their food waste. They could also work with farmers, who harvest and process crops, to minimize the amount of water that is ‘lost’ through the production and disposal of uneaten food.
These types of water conservation measures, ones that are related to agriculture and food, are rarely advocated in water savings campaigns. The study suggests that water conservation programs and incentives that advocate for domestic water conservation such as the ones listed above will fail to relieve water stress because they are not the dominant driver of that stress during a drought. Promoting individual behaviors with respect to reducing agricultural-related water withdrawal will have a significantly higher likelihood of improving water savings and ensuring long-term water security.
To read the full study, click here.
Climate change is increasing drought and water stress in many parts of the world, including the United States. During times of drought, municipal governments, private water suppliers, and non-profit organizations implement water conservation programs that emphasize behaviors such as repairing household leaks, taking shorter showers, turning off taps, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, and installing low-flow appliances. Can campaigns like these alleviate water stress during droughts? According to a 2020 study, the answer is no.
In 2010, a drought year, 92% of the over 3,000 counties in the lower 48 US states experienced water stress. The study’s authors estimated that if households fully adopted commonly advocated water saving measures, this would release only 174 counties (6% of all continental counties) from water stress. The reason for this is that most of the water withdrawal in the US is not from the domestic or industrial sectors, but from agriculture. This is especially true in the western part of the US. If agricultural water inefficiencies are not addressed, water stress will not be alleviated in most counties. How can these kinds of water inefficiencies be addressed at the individual behavioral level? Practitioners may consider encouraging individuals to modify their diet to reduce their water footprint (e.g., reducing red meat intake). Also, they could advocate for consumers to pressure suppliers to provide information about how well-matched crops are to regional growing conditions. For example, cotton and other high-water-use crops may unnecessarily stress local water supplies in drier regions. Walmart, Kellogg’s, and other major companies are already improving their supply chain and may be more forthcoming with this kind of information if consumers demanded it. Practitioners could also encourage individuals to reduce their food waste. They could also work with farmers, who harvest and process crops, to minimize the amount of water that is ‘lost’ through the production and disposal of uneaten food.
These types of water conservation measures, ones that are related to agriculture and food, are rarely advocated in water savings campaigns. The study suggests that water conservation programs and incentives that advocate for domestic water conservation such as the ones listed above will fail to relieve water stress because they are not the dominant driver of that stress during a drought. Promoting individual behaviors with respect to reducing agricultural-related water withdrawal will have a significantly higher likelihood of improving water savings and ensuring long-term water security.
To read the full study, click here.
