Headline: Secure and Sustainable Energy in a Water-Constrained World: IASS Researchers Publish Policy Recommendations

The global water needs of the energy sector are large. Without policy changes, they will increase greatly in the future. Already today, water constraints are a risk to a secure electricity supply. In many parts of the world, droughts and heatwaves have led to forced reductions in power generation. Not surprisingly, hydropower has been the most affected energy source. However, generation from nuclear and coal power plants has also been curbed due to constraints on the water needed for cooling. With climate change and a globally rising water demand, competition for water resources will become more intense. Decision-makers will increasingly be forced to make tough choices on water allocation.

So far, energy decision-makers tend to mistakenly consider water an abundant resource that they do not need to worry about in planning. However, the choice of energy sources greatly affects the volumes of water needed for power generation. While technological solutions are available to increase the energy sector’s resilience to water constraints, their potential is insufficiently exploited. Alliances between the water sector and water-friendly renewable energy sources can pave the way to meeting global water and energy needs, reconciling socio-economic development with planetary boundaries.

Against this background, the IASS came together with key partners to identify options for enhancing water and energy security at international water and energy conferences: the World Water Weeks 2014 and 2015, and the South Africa International Renewable Energy Conference (SAIREC) in 2015. The insights gained in these sessions have informed a recently published Policy Brief. To promote water-resilient electricity generation around the world, the IASS recommends taking the following three steps:

Message 1: Increase the share of wind power and solar PV in water-scarce regions. Wind power and solar PV are the least water-intensive electricity technologies. In addition, they contribute to mitigating climate-induced water risks due to their very low greenhouse gas emissions.

Message 2: Incorporate water scarcity into energy decision-making. Charging the energy sector for its water use in a way that better reflects actual water costs and scarcities can be a very effective way to improve water management in the sector. Integrating water scarcity into energy system models for public policy planning is a low-hanging fruit that can have major positive effects.

Message 3: Enhance transparency on water use in the energy sector. The limited data on actual water requirements in the energy sector in different parts of the world is a fundamental deficiency for informed decision-making. Both private companies and the public sector should therefore significantly improve their monitoring and reporting on water use.

Link:

Röhrkasten, S., Schäuble, D., Helgenberger, S. (2016): Secure and Sustainable Energy in a Water-Constrained World. - IASS Policy Brief, 2016, 1.