Melbourne Goal of Reducing Consumption of Water - Research Proposal Example

CASE STUDY By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents Abstract This study addresses the Melbourne goal of reducing consumption of water in the city as well as heightening water recycling as an element of their dedication to sustainable development. The key goal of this study is rooted in initiatives of water management appropriate to business structures, and especially on those put into practice at Council House that aspire to attain water conservation objectives in an environmental framework for sustainable development. What’s more, the study will analyse how Melbourne Water play a role in addressing the growing water supply needs in a rapidly developing city. How does Melbourne Water play a role in addressing the growing water supply needs of a rapidly developing city such as Melbourne? 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Case Background Basically, offering clean water to the public, particularly in cities like Melbourne is an enormous challenge, and even where water is available, distributing it to the public has turned out to be a setback. According to Melbourneflorida.org (2013), the drinking water provision is costly and complex. Melbourne has developed hastily in the last decades, and this development is set to go on. Statistically by 2050, Melbourne-Water (2013) claim that Melbourne will have to house more than 6.5 million people and also will have to offer an extra one million employments. Whereas this development increases challenges, it as well accommodates vast chances for Melbourne, together with its residents as well as Victoria. Melbourne management of urban water cycle has shifted considerably ever since settlement, and going forward with that change, this plan heralds a novel methods rooted in water-cycle planning as well as management. Melbourne water system endures some pressures, which according to Feikema et al. (2013, p.7) will progressively increase as a mounting population will use more water and wastewater discharged will be even more. Melbourne unpredictable climate denotes that floods and droughts are unavoidable, and no one can discern their reoccurrence, or their severity. The study seeks to critically analyse how water plays a crucial role in addressing the ever-growing population. 1.2 Problem Statement Melbourne is persistently evolving, owing to a broad array of both natural and human factors, and in the past, Melbourne has experienced recurrent storms, flooding, heatwaves, and bushfires. Besides, main setbacks associated to water are having an effect on the human urban settlements sustainability: such setbacks include lack of access to sanitation as well as safe water, and heightening water-based calamities like droughts and floods. These setbacks have vast effects on human well-being and health, security, the financial development and growth, and environment. Besides that, the lack of enough water as well as sanitation facilities gives rise to health-related issues like malaria and diarrhoea. 1.4 Aims/Purposes 1. To analyse the major issues and context with regard to water supply in Melbourne 2. To highlight possible solution to the looming water crisis in Melbourne 3. To offer practical recommendation that can be used to solve water issues in Melbourne 2.0 Analysis of Major Issues 2.1 Major Issues and Context Presently, the world is experiencing stunning risks to accessible fresh water, owing to climate change as a result of pollution and from diverse aspects that bring about the long-standing loss of existing groundwater as well as the aquifers’ depletion. Setbacks of such forms are well-known adequately to Melbourne urban planners, ecological advocates, as well as administrators of natural resource who must cope with a mass of overlying and underlining causes of reduced water presence in Melbourne. However, as appalling as setbacks of this kind often are in wealthy cities, only spendthrift areas, scores of lesser urbanized areas endure threats of human-made disaster. Water according to Imteaz et al. (2011, p.81) is turning out to be one of the novel non-renewables, and its depletion will undoubtedly inflict enormous threats to the safety of planet's most endangered people. Some Melbourne residents face heightened disease, aggravated poverty, as well as the lack of access to an already diminishing supply very important for human being, and other living creatures. Moreover, global warming increases an additional stress on water resources endangered by decisions for land use, geographic factors, as well as foreign investment strategies of international companies. 2.2 Analyses 2.2.1 Contributing Factors Factors expected to lead to the foreseen water shortages in Melbourne consist of rapid growth of population and water withdrawal rate that is unstainable. Human effects, like emissions of greenhouse gases, depletion of ozone layer, are according to Wang and Blackmore (2012, p.4384) major factors that have contributed to the reduced rainfall in Melbourne. Melbourne's drinking water is extremely prone to extremes of the weather, and so utilities must do something to reduce the risks. The main threat originates from a permutation of atypical weather-based occurrences, like a famine pursued by bushfires and afterward a flood, instead of just one occurrence (Wang & Blackmore, 2012, p.4384). 2.2.2 Foreseeable Implications Since the future changes in climate scenarios are controlled by flawed understanding and are probable to remain in doubt for the foreseeable future, the setback for Melbourne water resource planners is to enhance people’s knowledge of climate threats as well as to formulate robust approaches to help them become accustomed. Besides, various plants will in the future become vital to river quality and health, and scores of Melbourne’s vital catchments will have to be covered by forest; thus, preserving a hale and hearty environment. In addition, change in climate will have an effect on growth, composition of species in addition to pest invasion of native species will extremely influence water supply from such catchments. Heightened re-afforestation in deserted catchments will likely experience water losses in the future. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) foresee that the extra increase in Australia’s temperature between 10C and 20C will lead to 7 to 35% decrease in Melbourne’s water supply. 2.3 Summary of Analysis Outcomes Water demand in Melbourne is increasing and the rivers are degraded and over stressed. The salt removal, particularly from sea water as well as energy intensive pipelines is obviously not the answer to a big city like Melbourne, so they grow to be a water sensitive city. The integrated effects of growth in population, global warming and drought are depleting the Thomson and Yarra rivers bearing in mind they are Melbourne main water supplier. Melbourne-Water (2013) posits that residents of Melbourne have drain a lot of water from these rivers, leaving the rivers degraded and stressed. Whereas everyone is concerned about Melbourne diminishing water supply, a rainfall adequate to Melbourne's entire yearly water use is not harvested, instead it goes unused by way of Melbourne drains for storm water. Melbourneflorida.org (2013) believes that this is a big chance for Melbourne to reconsider their attitudes to water and start taking a crucial step towards changing their fair metropolis into a water-sensitive city. 3.0 Possible Solutions 3.1 Increasing Efficient Use of Water Water efficiency according to Feikema et al. (2013, p.4) can be seen as carrying out an enormous activity with fewer resources: by means of technology implementation that offers similar or enhanced service level, whilst utilising less water. Preserving water through utilisation of efficient fixtures and fittings is the slightest sensitive concern of human worry, since it does not need changes in lifestyle. 3.2 Rainwater Harvesting In Melbourne, modern rainwater harvesting applications can be designed to slot in high-demand clean application like landscape irrigation as well as toilet flushing. This according to Wang and Blackmore (2012, p.4389) can be used to attain a considerable effect on consumption of water from Melbourne main supplies. 3.3 Water Recycling Basically, water recycling is concerned with making use of used, polluted water and developing it into something helpful. In this regard, Melbourne must ensure that no water is wasted; instead they should set up underground tanks for conversation of used water for recycling. 4.0 Recommendations Melbourne should work with the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), as well as other urban water utilities in Australia to develop a planning tool for adaptation of climate change, especially for water utilities. This tool will confine and measure the intricacy of a contemporary service and facilitate evaluation of the main threats of climate change relating to social, economic as well as ecological performance prerequisites. Melbourne should as well ensure that sufficient and hygienic water for consumption is always available to the public. This can be achieved by future planning, leveraging population growth with limits of water as well as putting into effect more potent water conservation measures. Besides that, well-built and accommodating leadership at Melbourne in addition to county levels is required to maintain the city water flow. Monetary incentives must be accessible from the boroughs for water-saving appliances, such as showerheads and toilet fixtures. 5.0 Conclusion In conclusion, it has been observed that, it is vital to recognize the ecological and community infrastructure benefits are provided by practical limits to the water resources accessibility. It has been suggested that Melbourne must develop techniques to assimilate changes in climate with other qualms, like demographic change, population growth, as well as behaviour of water use, whilst also leveraging environmental, economic, and social circumstances. Climate change has increased the exposure of surface water in Melbourne to severe as well as rapid climate-steered hydrological alteration. Solution to these challenges include water recycling, rainwater harvesting, and increasing efficient use of water 6.0 References Feikema, P.M., Sherwin, C.B. & Lane, P.N.J., 2013. Influence of climate, fire severity and forest mortality on predictions of long term streamflow; potential effect of the 2009 wildfire on Melbourne's water supply catchments. Journal of Hydrology, vol. 488, no. 1, pp.1-16. Imteaz, M.A., Ahsan, A., Naser, J. & Rahman, A., 2011. Reliability analysis of rainwater tanks in Melbourne using daily water balance model. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 56, no. 1, pp.80-86. Melbourneflorida.org, 2013. Melbourne's Water Supply. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.melbourneflorida.org/watercon/watersupply.htm" http://www.melbourneflorida.org/watercon/watersupply.htm [Accessed 8 April 2014]. Melbourne-Water, 2013. Water supply, reservoirs, catchments, desalination - Melbourne. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.melbournewater.com.au/whatwedo/supply-water/Pages/supply-water.aspx" http://www.melbournewater.com.au/whatwedo/supply-water/Pages/supply-water.aspx [Accessed 8 April 2014]. Wang, C.-H. & Blackmore, J.M., 2012. Supply-Demand Risk and Resilience Assessment for Household Rainwater Harvesting in Melbourne, Australia. Water Resources Management, vol. 26, no. 15, pp.4381-96. Read More