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Friday, 02 November 2012 10:25

What is the best way to classify water-stressed areas?

 

The Environment Agency has launched a consultation asking for views on how to best determine how water-stressed areas of England and Wales are.

As a result of a changing climate, population increases and changes in lifestyle, it is expected that water resources in England and Wales will become more stressed. The Agency has defined the term “water stress” as a recurrent imbalance that arises from an overuse of water resources, caused by consumption being significantly higher than water availability.

In 2007 the Agency produced a classification showing areas of water stress in England by assessing population density and demand on available water resources. This indicated where metering should be fully evaluated as part of statutory water resource management plans (WRMPs) alongside other options.

The Agency is now reviewing how it identifies those areas of England and Wales that have different levels of water stress. A new approach will consider current and forecast stress and stress at different times of the year, as well as reflecting all uses of water and activities on the ground in local catchments.

Views are being sought on the Agency’s all-inclusive approach of considering demands on water resources from all sectors of use, including environmental needs, as well as future pressures from climate and demand impacts.

The Agency is also asking whether three classifications of water stress is the right approach, as well as determining if local water body stress classification results effectively identify areas of water stress in England and Wales.

The consultation opened today (2 November) and runs for 4 weeks to 30 November. See the consultation here

 

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