Water security - living with droughts and floods

Only three percent of all the water on Earth is fresh water. Of that, 69 per cent is locked up in ice, 30 per cent is non-renewable ground water and only one percent is surface water. Yet, our lifestyles, agriculture and industries demand more water than ever whilst one billion people lack access to safe drinking water. Climate change has a further impact on water distribution and urbanisation together with the fast growing world population is putting pressure on water resources and sanitation. In contrast, coastal regions are under increased threat of flooding due to the rise of sea levels. Among the global risks, there are also those associated with the ‘water-energy-food nexus’. Each of these three ‘resource spheres’ affects the other in substantive ways. Considering them independently and ignoring effects in one can have significant impacts on another. The quest for water security raises multiple dilemmas around global and regional politics, governance, risks, costs, equity, health, behaviour change, culture and religion.

Lead academic: Professor Dragan Savic

Anchor academic: Dr Raziyeh Farmani

External champion: Professor David Grey

Taster session

Date: 31 October

Time: 12:00 - 13:00

Location: Forum Auditorium

Description: Water Wars or Water Wise?

Water has always played a central role in human society.  On the one hand, water is productive, essential for health, food, industry and the environment, and valuable for energy and transport. On the other hand, water is destructive, through flood, drought, contamination and disease, and is a potential source of conflict. Achieving water security by increasing its productive potential and reducing its destructive potential has always been a societal goal, and is a major challenge today for over half the world’s population. We know of only one Blue Planet – ours – and the growing risks that we face with water in our changing world need an unprecedented global response.

The session will be led by Professor Dragan Savic and Professor David Grey.

Sign up: If you miss this session you can view it on ELE.

If you wish to pick this dilemma sign up through My Career Zone from 5^th November.

Inquiry Groups

If you sign up for this dilemma you will have the opportunity to work in an inquiry group focusing on one of the following areas

Groups 1,2,3) Politics of Water (lead academic: Prof David Grey)

Egypt – Ethiopia – Sudan: new dams on the Blue Nile

Ethiopia has announced it is planning a major dam construction program on the Blue Nile, with 3 dams adding 6000 MW (trebling Ethiopia’s current generation capacity), with Italian contractors. These dams have substantial storage capacity. Finance is being sought from China and from international financial institutions.

Group 1: Ethiopian Electric Power Company seeking finance from China’s Export Import Bank

You are the CEO of the Ethiopian Electric Power Company and you are seeking finance (c. $6 billion) for a major dam construction program on the Blue Nile, with 3 dams adding 6000 MW (trebling Ethiopia’s current generation capacity).  You need a major power purchase agreement to demonstrate revenues in order to attract investors.  You assess that exporting power to East Africa carries high financial risk but low political risk and exporting power to Egypt, giving you access to the Middle East and to the Mediterranean interconnected grid, has great financial potential but increased political risk.  You are visiting China to seek finance ($2 billion) from the EXIM Bank.  Prepare a presentation to market the project to the President of the EXIM Bank, which invests in other projects in East Africa and in the Middle East (including Egypt).

Group 2: Investment Advisory Consultancy advising the Chinese EXIM Bank

You are an Investment Advisory Consultancy contracted to advise the Chinese EXIM Bank on investing $2 billion in a major dam construction program on the Blue Nile, with 3 dams adding 6000 MW (trebling Ethiopia’s current generation capacity).  The EXIM Bank is also financing other projects in East Africa and in the Middle East (including Egypt).  You see multiple risks and opportunities.  Prepare a presentation with your assessment and recommendations to give to the President of the EXIM Bank.

Group 3: World Bank Regional Power Trading team advising WB President

You are the World Bank Regional Power Trading team, supporting power interconnection as a strategy for growth and regional stability.  You are asked to examine a major dam construction program on the Blue Nile, with 3 dams adding 6000 MW (trebling Ethiopia’s current generation capacity) with a view to facilitating regional power trade.  You are required to consider the financial and political risks and opportunities and to make recommendations defining an engagement strategy (including non-engagement) for the World Bank.  Prepare a presentation to the President of the Bank.

Groups 4,5: Hidden water footprint (e.g. food) (Lead academic: tbc)

Output: Two groups will design a public campaign and visual communication for public engagement

Groups 6,7: Water-energy-food nexus (Lead academic: Prof Dragan Savic)

Output: one team will develop a group powerpoint presentation/report that assesses social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of hydropower and future of hydropower

Second team will develop a group powerpoint presentation/report that assesses the true societal cost of biofuel

Groups 8,9,10: Water security in England (Lead academics: Prof Chris Binnie, Martin Ross)

Output: One team will study water use and efficiency behaviour in a school at Exeter (ISCA College) and also at university of Exeter and they will develop water efficiency awareness campaign.

Two teams will study water resources implications at regional scale (South East and South West of England) and will prepare two powerpoint presentations/reports.