STRATEGIZING WATER SUSTAINABILITY: TOWARDS A NEW GENERATION OF WATER MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Water is our most important resource. Without it, life and humanity would not exist. Drinking water is necessary but limited and must be carefully managed. The 20th century has seen a dramatic increase of the global water consumption resulting to water scarcity and shortage in the most vulnerable regions of the world. Today, water management systems are developed in order to control water consumption. However, such efforts must be extended towards a new generation of water management that will lead to the achievement of water sustainability. Sustainability, indeed, refers to the traditional notion of ecology but it also involves technology, politics and most importantly, sociability at the global as well as the local scale.

By applying the concept of water sustainability to our contemporary societies, water management will become more efficient and relevant in our network cities, resulting to the extensive integration of water within the urban environment, the reduction of water consumption and the improvement of collection, recycling and re-use processes of the available freshwater sources.