Water resources

Safeguarding the world’s water resources.

Sustainable water governance is vital to manage the impacts of population growth and climate change.

Achieving this is complicated by the changing water demands across domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Those tasked with managing water resources, from governments to agencies and regulators, have to balance user expectations with environmental requirements while navigating changing weather patterns.

To ensure equitable water allocation requires an understanding of systems at the largest scale – across and between catchments, and all the different sources and users of water within them. That means developing solutions that sustain the health of the natural environment, maintain river flows and aquifers, and often involve the storage, recycling and reuse of water.

Long term planning is critical to address water scarcity issues proactively and provide resilience in the face of these complex challenges.

Water markets

What can we do for you?

We have more than 70 years’ experience in providing integrated strategies for the development, management and use of water resources across the globe.

Water resource mapping and modelling

We have pioneered the application of systems thinking to water resources, finding ways to map, model and represent the complex flows and interdependencies that underlie the availability and quality of water resources.

Water resources forecasting

Our expertise in catchment dynamics, hydrology and hydrogeology, combined with meteorological information and data management capability, means we can forecast water resources with a level of confidence that has never previously been possible.

Strategy and planning

We develop and evaluate water resource management options, including inter-catchment water transfers, reservoir storage, demand management, desalination, water recycling and reuse. We are a trusted partner in stakeholder engagement and consultation, and we help clients build business cases and integrate project development into strategy and planning.

Navigating the unknowns and ‘what ifs?’

Assisted by advanced digital analysis and visualisation tools, our industry-leading practitioners help clients to navigate profound uncertainties – about the effects of climate change, population growth and movement, and changing demands for water.

Services we provide

Optimising water resources for sustainable growth

We work with governments, regulators, water and energy companies, large land developers and industrial companies, and investors. We help balance current and future water demand and supply, taking account of household and industrial consumption, irrigation, hydropower and protection of aquatic systems for a sustainable, biodiverse environment.

We can:

Collect, analyse and manage data to understand water availability today and in the future, taking into consideration the impacts of climate change and weather pattern variance.
Undertake water resources modelling, including hydrology, hydrogeology, and system and catchment dynamics.
Analyse water quality, including conceptualising and modelling diffuse and point sources of pollution.
Appraise measures to reduce pressure on water resources and improve quality, including technical and nature-based treatment solutions, commercial measures through metering and billing, social measures such as user information and education, and stakeholder engagement.

We can:

Identify and screen water resource management options to develop a holistic roadmap for strategic investment and development.
Develop a detailed water network model showing opportunities to reduce losses, increase transmission capacity, transfer water from areas of abundance to those of scarcity, and improve quality using technical or nature-based treatment solutions.

We can:

Assess the requirements of the natural environment so that meeting social and economic needs does not take a toll on biodiversity and nature – which underpins the health and sustainability of the water system itself.
Measure social acceptability and value, working towards solutions that people will not just consent to but that contribute to better social outcomes, including in terms of health, access to leisure, environmental amenity and job creation.

Our people

Meet the team

Our experience

Assam water resource and resilience, India

Working with the government of Assam, we have undertaken river basin management planning – integrated and driven by stakeholders – for three sub-basins of the Brahmaputra River. Our work focuses on the long term, with climate adaptation approaches aimed at reducing risks to livelihoods and seizing opportunities for climate resilient growth.
Strategic water resource options planning, UK

We are working with water companies throughout the UK to understand their water resource requirements for the next 25 years or more, as part of the statutory investment planning process. Our project management, technical expertise, environmental services and drinking water risk assessments are helping to shape the development of strategic options.
Systemic approach to water resource management, UK

We helped the UK government develop an innovative approach to analysing river catchments as environmental and social systems, and demonstrated the value of the approach at a regional water resources planning level.
Water balance tool, Oman

Our specialist team of experts in water resources, groundwater, agricultural and geographical information systems developed a bespoke water balance tool for Oman. This enabled authorities to accurately identify which regions of the country are in a state of water surplus or deficit. Planners can now allocate required investment to meet increasing water demand for domestic, industrial and agricultural consumption.
Water resources forecaster, UK

Our water resources forecaster simulates river flows for a range of potential futures. Using UK Met Office datasets, it helps water companies assess the likelihood of reaching flow or reservoir thresholds at which abstraction must be reduced to protect the aquatic environment and customer supply.