Analysis of Water Conservation Policies and Technological Advancements

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POLICY AND PLANNING FOR
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTS
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Contents
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................3
Environmental management (Water conservation).............................................................................4
Discuss how the principles of the triple bottom line should be applied to the implementation of a
policy that addresses water conservation..............................................................................................6
Include a comment on how technology could contribute to either decline or improvements in
environmental quality for water conservation......................................................................................8
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................................10
References...................................................................................................................................................11
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Introduction
The sustainability refers to optimising the resources which are eco-friendly and does not harm
any of the expertise. The social sustainability refers to the impact of sustainability on the real-life
market it can be positive or negative. Sustainability includes the factors which affect the
environment it could be climate change resources, pollution or other harmful impacts. The
sustainability issues refer to the significant issues which can be generated by the resources which
are not eco-friendly. The case study also deals with the different aspects of the sustainability
issue. The topic which is included in the report is water conservation. The report provides a brief
introduction to the topic and will disclose some sustainability issues which it contains. The report
will also help to determine some principals and policies leads to overcome the issue and
determines the approaches to resolve the issue. The report will also briefly provide the
information that how advanced technologies can help to overcome the issue.
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Environmental management (Water conservation)
Water is an essential need for current and future generation. As it is the first need to survive this
is impossible even to think about life without water. As the current time is full of pollution and
other diversities and these diversities are making the environmental resources more difficult to
be conserved. Water conservation can be referred to the process which helps to secure the natural
resources which provide fresh and renewed water (Abdulai and Huffman, 2014). The
conservation of water is a very important thing to be done nowadays as climate change and other
imbalance of environment made a lot of issues to maintain the water resources secure. The
resources which are affected by the imbalance of the environment are the manufacturing and
implementation resources of water. Thus, this is necessary to attain some process which helps to
resolve the sustainability issue of water conservation.
The goal of water conservation includes some efforts:
 To ensure the obtainability of water for future generation as the ecosystem will not be
able to refine the water on that much of amount.
 It is known to all that water is an essential need to invent the energy so another goal of
water conservation is to sustain the energy.
 To sustain and maintain the water quality and water flow to the future and current
requirements (Fielding, et. al., 2012).
Strategies of water conservation
As discussed above water is the essential need of livelihood but at the same time this resource is
in the dangerous this is necessary to make some strategies to secure the water. The water
conservation is a process which requires some approaches to be followed to sustain and balance
the water ratio in the real world. The strategies which can help in water conservation are:
 Decreasing run-off losses: The biggest reason for water imbalance is the loss of water. It
can be seen in any real time example that water is wasting somewhere this is the necessity to
attain some methods which can help sustain and store the water these methods can be
Contour cultivation, Terrace farming, Conservation-bench terracing, Water spreading and so
on. This is some methods which can be used to utilise the water and this utilisation will help
to implement the future preservations (Schaible and Aillery, 2012).
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 Reducing disappearance losses: The soils and other resources are some reason which
absorbs the water so quickly and becomes the reason for waste of water. It can be determined
to provide water to the soil but this is also necessary to understand the limitations of water
resisting.
 Reuse of water: This can be understood that the water is most necessary resources and also
reducing very fast so to determine the need and use of water the thing which can be adapt is
to reuse the water. There are so many things which can be complete by the reuse of water.
The reuse can provide two benefits one is conservation of water and the nest is to attain the
resources secure (Postel, 2014).
Importance of water conservation
The water is the most necessary resource provided by nature and this is also necessary to
conserve it as the current climate negatively affects the resource. The water conservation is a
process to secure the resources of water and it is also important to adopt the further advantages
which directly or indirectly provides by the water.
 Reduces the possessions of deficiency and water absences: The most significant
benefit of water conservation is that it determines some strategies and approaches which
help to preserve water. The preservation of water ensures that the water will not be
deficient and will be available for current and future generation.
 Protects besides increasing prices and governmental struggle: Lack of water can be
the reason of some drastic issues like it can increase the expenses and also can be the
reason of some drastic changes in climate and day to day life as the water is a most
necessary resource so the political parties can also use the issue for their own benefits.
The water conservation helps to reduce the probability of such issues (Ferraz, et. al.,
2012).
 Figures safe and attractive societies: The water is not only necessary for survival but it
also helps to maintain the beauty and attraction of the society. Another use of water that it
is necessary for some important departments like the hospital, fire-fighter, gas stations
and so on. These are some branches which need the water most to provide these services
(Abdulai and Huffman, 2014).
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Discuss how the principles of the triple bottom line should be applied to the
implementation of a policy that addresses water conservation.
The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is a social, economic and environmental value of an investment.
For the purpose of effective implementation of water conservation, the 3Ps of Triple Bottom
Line plays an important role in it (Alhaddi, 2015). Effective use of all the 3Ps in water
conservation is as follows:
 People/Social: People or social bottom line helps in creating the water conservation policy
focusing on the fair and beneficial practices to the peoples as well the community. Water
conservation programs involving social solutions include numerous initiatives taken at each
level. Some of the common strategies include public outreach campaigns, increasing water
rates with increased use, special restriction on outsides water use resulting inflow of water
etc. Awareness programs help in educating people about methods to conserve water and also
use it effectively. Advanced methods should be used in industrial as well as an agricultural
sector to prevent wastage of water. People should be educated about the importance of water
conservation, steps to be taken and techniques and methods of water conservation (Wilson,
2015).
 Planet/Environmental: Planet or environmental bottom line focuses on using methods of
water conservation by keeping the environmental factors in mind. Taking steps for
conserving water focusing on environment bottom line includes managing, monitoring the
consumption, including waste and impact from various business activities which includes
pollution etc. The water conservation policies formed should be monitored and analysed to
make sure that it is not having any adverse effects on the planet or other environmental
factors. If conservation plan used to conserve water is making excessive use of other
resources than there is no point in conserving water from an environmental point of view.
The factors developed to measure the impact of policy on the environment includes studying
and analysing the materials, biodiversity, energy, emissions, effluents and wastes,
environmental compliance etc. These factors make sure that while conserving one resource,
the environment does not get spoiled.
 Profit/Economic: Economic bottom line is partially about financial profitability. The
process developed for conserving water should meet the financial criteria. The economic
capital is measured in terms of its impact on the economic environment. The conservation
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plan that provides strength to the economy, it will help in sustaining the economy in future as
well. The following guidelines make sure that the policy used for water conservation is
economically suitable as well (Svensson, et. al., 2016).

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Include a comment on how technology could contribute to either decline or improvements
in environmental quality for water conservation.
Technology plays an important role in the process of water conservation. Successful water
conservation is dependent on technological factors. However, it does not mean that the
technology needs to be complex. Normal daily use appliances that rely on simple technology can
also help in effective water conservation. Use of technology includes various methods such as
using drip irrigation technique, using rainwater harvesting technique and many other such
techniques using modern technology and equipment. Further with the use of technological
factors the reuse and recycling can be done. It involves designing systems for reuse and recycling
of water in both residential as well as industrial applications.
Reuse of water includes that the used wastewater can be treated and then used for irrigation
purpose, or it can also be recycled and used in a car wash or other such activities (Zheng, et. al.,
2016). Modern technology includes various methods of eliminating the loss of water. It includes
the use of monitoring systems to meter, regulate and monitor the water supplies. Use of smart
technology such as leak identification system, overflow prevention system is such technologies
which help in preventing loss of water. Another use of technology in water conservation is
preventing pollution. If there is less pollution of the water there will be a lesser need for
recycling or reusing it. This also helps in conserving the natural water reserves.
Use of technology for preventing or minimising the water pollution includes use of treatment
method for treating factory wastes before dumping it out, preventing household waste to be
mixed with water resources etc. Growing demands for water requires conserving water and
preventing water pollution and wastage. New techniques and methods are required which can
only be developed by the use of technology. As old techniques have low efficiency thus the
needs for the introduction and use of new techniques rises. As from ancient times, underground
water has been a source of water, however, with the increasing pollution, it is no longer safe to
consume. Previously it could be consumed but now the level of pollution has increased to the
extent that it requires the latest technologies for making the polluted water reusable again. Some
of the latest technologies which are helpful in conserving water and overcoming the scarcity of
clean water are as follows:
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 Using nanotechnology infiltration: As with the rise in the level of wastes and pollution,
the problem of getting affected by microbes, bacteria have also risen. Thus for this issue,
this technology was created. The use of nanotechnology in the filtration process helps in
eliminating those microbes and bacteria causing health problems.
 Seawater desalination: Seawater desalination is still an expensive process to be used at
a large scale. However, it is one of the best approaches to the issue of water conservation.
Seawater desalination can transform the way of water conservation if an effective way of
performing the process in a cost-effective manner can be developed.
 Smart monitoring: Smart monitoring involves monitoring the water supplies, water
reserves in a smart and scientific way using modern tools and techniques. Leaks are the
major issues for wastage of water, thus the use of the latest monitoring technologies can
help in preventing leaks and conserving water. It includes electronic equipment such as
pressure sensor, acoustic sensors which are connected to a monitoring system and
identifies and informs any kinds of leaks very quickly and effectively (Glenn, et. al.,
2015).
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Conclusion
This is concluded from the study that sustainability is an issue which needs to be resolved.
Sustainability refers to the resources and elements which are eco-friendly and they need to be
reduced as they are essential needs for the current and future generation. The report provides
brief information about water conservation as the water is the most necessary element for
survival. The report also discloses the information about the principal and policies which helps to
sustain the water conservation. Various things disclosed in the study about the technologies
which helps to determine and enhance the strategies for water conservation.
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References
 Abdulai, A. and Huffman, W., 2014. The adoption and impact of soil and water
conservation technology: An endogenous switching regression application. Land
Economics, 90(1), pp.26-43.
 Ferraz, S.F., de Paula Lima, W. and Rodrigues, C.B., 2013. Managing forest plantation
landscapes for water conservation. Forest Ecology and Management, 301, pp.58-66.
 Fielding, K.S., Russell, S., Spinks, A. and Mankad, A., 2012. Determinants of household
water conservation: The role of demographic, infrastructure, behaviour, and psychosocial
variables. Water Resources Research, 48(10).
 Glenn, D.T., Endter-Wada, J., Kjelgren, R. and Neale, C.M., 2015. Tools for evaluating
and monitoring the effectiveness of urban landscape water conservation interventions and
programs. Landscape and Urban Planning, 139, pp.82-93.
 Postel, S., 2014. The last oasis: facing water scarcity. Routledge.
 Schaible, G. and Aillery, M., 2012. Water conservation in irrigated agriculture: Trends
and challenges in the face of emerging demands. USDA-ERS Economic Information
Bulletin, (99). Alhaddi, H., 2015. Triple bottom line and sustainability: A literature
review. Business and Management Studies, 1(2), pp.6-10.
 Svensson, G., Dos Santos, M.A. and Padin, C., 2016. A social emphasis to triple bottom
line reporting of corporate sustainability efforts. In Thriving in a New World Economy
(pp. 288-288). Springer, Cham.
 Wilson, J.P., 2015. The triple bottom line: Undertaking an economic, social, and
environmental retail sustainability strategy. International Journal of Retail &
Distribution Management, 43(4/5), pp.432-447.
 Zheng, H., Li, Y., Robinson, B.E., Liu, G., Ma, D., Wang, F., Lu, F., Ouyang, Z. and
Daily, G.C., 2016. Using ecosystem service trade‐offs to inform water conservation
policies and management practices. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14(10),
pp.527-532.
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