What is strategic water planning?

Strategic planning is a useful tool when faced with a limited resource, as is the case with water. That’s why strategic water planning is so beneficial in times when water is much needed yet scarce. Enhanced water security and improved resource allocation are the main advantages of strategic water planning, as they ensure a dependable and secure water supply for all users by considering future water demands as well as potential threats and addresses water scarcity and resource allocation according to these parameters, resulting in a holistic approach including environmental needs, socio-economic variables, and water availability to maximise usage and avoid overexploitation.

Climate change projections are incorporated into strategic water planning, enabling the creation of adaptive strategies that increase resilience to impacts such as changing rainfall patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather events, and rising sea levels. Ecosystem conservation and protection is also a benefit of strategic water planning, helping to preserve and restore ecosystems that rely on water resources by incorporating environmental factors by guaranteeing water distribution and respecting the needs of ecosystems, preserving ecological balance and biodiversity.

Lastly, strategic water planning encourages collaboration among stakeholders, including government agencies, water utilities, communities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), enabling knowledge exchange, sharing experiences and resources, resulting in more informed decision-making and improved support for water management programs and water services plans.

Strategic water planning takes into account the specific characteristics and needs of a location and its community. Everything from weather, population and usage is considered when designing plans aimed at optimisation of water resources, coming up with drought contingency and water conservation initiatives, comprehensive approaches to water resource management, water reuse and recycling to de-stress natural freshwater sources, and promoting overall sustainable use of water.

Collaboration between stakeholders, including government agencies, communities, and industries is key for developing these plans, as well as building blue-green infrastructure promoting nature-based solutions to water resource management, such as wetlands restoration, tree planting, and permeable surfaces.

Using a future-focused approach, GHD explores flexible water planning solutions applicable over 10, 30, and 50+ year horizons to help us deliver long-term objectives while adapting to change. This approach is our very own brand of strategic water planning. Through strategic water planning, we work hand in hand with our clients to help them establish a good strategic framework that fits their specific needs.

Our commitment to helping shape the future of water through strategic water planning is only one part of the solution to bring water sustainability to every community globally. To understand our take on strategic water planning, go to our water page and browse through our water expertise services and related projects.

To help you deliver significant results on water management, we provide a wide range of water-related services, such as feasibility studies, planning, design, project management, construction and asset management, and operational optimisation.

• Aquatic science
• Water treatment and desalination
• Water collection and distribution
• Wastewater treatment and recycling
• Maritime and coastal engineering
• Hydrology and hydrodynamics
• Hydrogeology
• Future of water services
• Dams

To understand more about efforts in water sustainability, go to our Future of Water page. And to know more about us, browse through our website.

Together, let’s shape a positive and more sustainable future.

Articles referenced

^{GHD n.d., ‘Future of water responding to a rapidly changing world’, retrieved June 27, 2023, from https://www.ghd.com/en/expertise/future-of-water-responding-to-a-rapidly-changing-world.aspx}

^{World Wildlife Fund n.d., ‘Strategic water management in the 21st century’, retrieved June 27, 2023, from https://www.wwf.org.uk/strategic-water-management}