The Authors
Chris
Olszak
"As water becomes ever more scant the world needs to conserve it, use it more efficiently and establish clear rights over who owns the stuff"
From the article 'Liquidity Crisis' in The Economist

The Economist recently published an in-depth article on water scarcity. The article called for urgent reform of water management across the globe lest we find ourselves in a “Mad Max” type future where armed gangs race around desert landscapes, fighting and dying for water.

Fortunately, Australia is ahead of the curve in terms of how our water markets operate and, in some areas, how our urban water systems are managed. This, however, does not mean there isn’t room for improvement. Climate change and population growth pose significant challenges to securing water supplies for the future social and economic development of the country. It is also clear that the challenge in Australia is not just to provide secure water supplies, but to do so efficiently and bring the community along in making major investment decisions.

Informed by our experience developing and analysing urban water policy and governance, Aither’s recently published think piece describes the elements that will support efficient planning and delivery of secure, affordable urban water supplies.

This insight was written in response to the article ‘Liquidity crisis’ which first appeared on economist.com on 5 November 2016.