Voices Reconnecting the Water Veins Water Resource Fluctuations and Choices for the Future 2020s

Voices Reconnecting the Water Veins Water Resource Fluctuations and Choices for the Future 2020s

The combination of climate change and aging infrastructure is shaking up the ability to secure stable water resources. Conventional water management methods are becoming less effective due to disrupted rainfall patterns and extremes of heavy rainfall and drought, and it is pointed out that the risk of drought in the future will also increase. At the same time, water pipes and facilities built during the period of rapid economic growth have exceeded their useful life and become obsolete, increasing the risk of water leakage and water cutoffs. Structural problems are also developing, such as the loss of water that has been secured in the process of supply. In response to this situation, highly effective measures are needed to address water leakage and demand management, rather than symptomatic measures such as water withdrawal restrictions. It will also be important to renew water supply systems through wide-area cooperation, to provide mutual support in the event of a disaster
, and to develop the concept of integrated basin water management that treats the entire basin as a single water cycle. In addition, citizen-participatory water conservation activities and water use reviews are increasingly being promoted to encourage behavioral change at the daily life level. The attitude of protecting water resources is not limited to securing water quantity, but also provides an opportunity to rethink the social structure and relationships among people concerning water. What is needed in an era when securing water is becoming increasingly difficult is for governments, businesses, and citizens to work together to rebuild a framework and awareness of the need to protect and share water.