With World Water Day on March 22, we are reminded once again that water forms one of the key components of building construction. While urbanisation and modernisation are inevitable, we cannot ignore that growing cities and populations, along with changing climate, are placing unprecedented pressure on the availability of water.
According to the World Economic Forum, we may face a 40% global gap between water supply and demand by 2030. While the scenario seems grim, it also provides an excellent opportunity to work on making water conservation a vital agenda for a better future.
The World Water Day theme of 2023 by the United Nations ‘Be the Change’ focuses on accelerating change to solve water and sanitation crisis. The aim is to encourage people of the world to implement the changes in their lives in how they use, consume, and manage water. To bring in large-scale transformations, it’s the collective job of policymakers, corporates like us, and millions of people who can take action to create the desired impact.
While all stakeholders and industries should focus on playing their role in tackling the global water crisis, it is imperative for the real estate industry to do its bit in driving the water conservation agenda along with its mission to accelerate urbanisation. A lot can be done by the real estate sector to safeguard our freshwater sources.
Some easy measures
Consumption can be reduced by builders by implementing simple measures like installing low-flow water fixtures in their projects, while utilising recycled water for secondary usages like flushing, cooling, and other industrial purposes. Advanced treatment systems like IPR or DPR (indirect or direct potable reuse) make treated water potable.
Rainwater harvesting technique is one of the best to help with water resilience. Restricting runoff by limiting the excessive concretisation of urban areas is another way to reinvigorate natural water sources. Urban runoff is a complex term resulting in the loss of valuable and abundant rainwater and is a cause for water pollution. Water metering is essential to limit water consumption. Simple awareness campaigns can also be done, making it effective when backed by authentic data.
Even as the government intends massive housing schemes, it must work on water management, especially under the Smart Cities Mission. Some of the methods mentioned above are mandated by regulations, while green building certification bodies require only a few. Many elements are kept open for voluntary adoption by real estate developers and societies. It’s time to act upon them.
The writer is ESG Leader, Lodha.
