How nature-based solutions can save our water

With England having just seen record levels of rainfall over the last 18 months, it is tempting to think that a global water shortage – posed by climate change – is a distant problem. But the opposite is true. Across the world, at least 50% of the population face water shortfalls at least one month of the year, with 1.8 billion people predicted to face ‘absolute water scarcity’ by 2025. 

As global water levels are estimated to fall by almost 5 billion litres of water a day by 2050, it is critical for countries with a generous water supply, like the UK, to capture, store and use water in the most efficient way possible. 

In this article, two experts from the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (also known as CREWW) – a centre created and funded by University of Exeter, South West Water and Research England, to develop new ways of managing natural resources in the face of climate change and population growth – give their insight into this challenge. 

For Diego Panici, a Lecturer in Hydrological and Water Quality Modelling at CREWW, the problem is clear. “Water is absolutely not an infinite resource. We have more water in very small events but less water overall. This causes exacerbated floods and more prolonged droughts. We have a lot of water in a small time and then a lack of water.” 

Because of that, water companies, consumers and communities all have a role to play in capturing water when it comes. “We need to store more water in our landscape,” Diego says, “to protect our communities and built environment during floods, and to ensure it’s available when needed, during droughts.” 

---

That said, our current consumption is heavily reliant on water that has been extracted from rivers and reservoirs. This makes for a perfect storm, where we are using water wastefully and depleting our natural reserves at the same time. 

Carolyn Cadman, Director of Natural Resources at South West Water, explains: “every time you flush your toilet, that’s 8 to 10 litres of treated drinking water that you’re flushing away.” 

There’s a simple way around this, however. “If we use rainwater that we capture ourselves in our homes instead of treated drinking water to flush our toilets, we’d be saving a lot of water. We wouldn’t need to take so much water from the rivers and reservoirs, from the environment, to use in our homes. So, I think there’s a whole systems rethink that we need to do to understand and change our relationship with water.” 

Diego agrees. “We need to have this paradigm shift in terms of how we think of our water use and our pressures as humans on the water resources, especially when we’re taking water from rivers and reservoirs and just using it for something that doesn’t necessarily require drinking water.  

Turning the tide on our water use is not easy. But it is possible. For Diego and Carolyn, some important tools we have at our disposal are nature-based solutions. 

“These solutions use natural processes like floodplains, peatlands, and river flows,” Diego explains, “to restore some of the natural functioning in our landscape, which in many places has been suppressed for land reclamation and agriculture. Restoring this natural functioning helps manage water resources; it also supports biodiversity.”  

Making the shift towards nature-based solutions requires a change in consumer attitudes and behaviours as well, says Carolyn. “This is a challenge water companies have at the moment. Water [as we have it now] is literally on tap. We have targets to work with consumers to reduce water consumption per head, known as per capita consumption.”  

Carolyn recognises that this is a difficult message for water companies to deliver. “We’re doing this at a time when trust in water companies is very low. When there are issues within the water sector to tackle, like reducing our reliance on storm overflows and fixing leaks.” 

 

But promisingly, some of these nature-based solutions are already in the works. Restoring peatlands, Carolyn says, really helps to capture more rainwater in the region’s marshy landscapes. “Through the South West Peatland Partnership, we’re restoring peatlands on Dartmoor, Exmoor, Bodmin Moor, and Penwith in Cornwall. Restoring these areas creates a natural sponge in the landscape, slowing the flow of water and reducing its impact on nature and the environment.” 

Peatlands also have a positive impact on climate change, Diego adds: “Restoring peatlands also restores their carbon function. Degraded peatlands release carbon into the atmosphere, while restored peatlands act as a carbon sink. Wetland creation is another example—it stores a lot of carbon, whereas dry wetlands do not.” 

Another solution in action is Upstream Thinking  – a project where South West Water, assisted by University of Exeter researchers, works with wildlife organisations and landowners to promote better water quality. “For this programme,” Carolyn says, “we fund organisations like the Devon Wildlife Trust to employ farm advisors, who meet with landowners next to rivers or reservoirs. 

“The farm advisor supports the farmer or landowner to farm in a way that’s good for water quality, wildlife, and their bottom line – using less fertilizer, nutrients, and pesticides. It’s a program that benefits water quality, wildlife, and the farmer financially.” 

---

Finally, how can consumers help tackle this problem? Using less water is a good first step, say the experts. Beyond that, Diego advocates an open-minded approach when it comes to nature-based solutions, while Carolyn highlights some of the solutions people can take on at home, such as “water-saving devices, community rainwater harvesting, and creating ponds”. She adds the importance of avoiding flushing fats, oils and wet wipes down the toilet, as these can clog up the network.  

To protect our water and biodiversity, no step is too small. As Diego sums up, “we need to protect and restore natural ecosystems, and that’s a duty we all share.” 

 

---

More Information 

This article was developed from a conversation between Diego Panici (Lecturer in Hydrological and Water Quality Modelling at CREWW), Carolyn Cadman (Director of Natural Resources at CREWW) and Paul Philpott (Vice Chair, Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce). A video recording of this conversation is available on YouTube. The podcast is available on Spotify and Podbean. 

The Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) was created and funded in partnership between the University of Exeter, South West Water and Research England. Established to undertake research into some of the most pressing Environmental challenges in our time, the Centre focuses on managing our precious natural resources in ways which are sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change and population growth.​ 

---

Let’s Work Together 

At the University of Exeter, we are world-renowned for our environmental research and education, with over 1,500 people working to deliver game-changing solutions. Find out how we can help your organisation access expertise, talent, and transformative solutions at exeterinnovation.com.  

---

Written by Ben Dickenson Bampton