• Posted on 19 Aug 2024
  • Updated on 19 Aug 2024
  • 2-minute read

Six future scernarios were developed to help WaterNSW develop meaningful insights for catchment planning and decision-making processes.

Aerial shot of a large dam / water catchment area.

The UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) supported WaterNSW and explored scenarios of alternate catchment future states to understand how impacts from broad-scale megatrends and local drivers may create potential risks or opportunities for catchment health and supply security.

A set of 2040 and 2060 future catchment scenarios were developed in a three-phase methodology that included:

  1. horizon scanning
  2. stakeholder visioning
  3. scenario definition.

The translation of broad-scale megatrends into local drivers enabled potential future impacts for Greater Sydney’s Drinking Water Catchments to be collaboratively identified.

The project outcomes will inform WaterNSW's strategic planning, risk assessment, and management responses. The process has been valuable for land and water managers in utilising research, stakeholder knowledge and foresight methods to understand potential future risks and opportunities.

MEDIA

Preparing Sydney’s drinking water for 2040 and beyond - ISF News

Sydney drinking water catchment future scenarios for 2040 and 2060 - ISF News

Collaboration for a secure water future - ISF News

Researchers

Simon Fane

Simon Fane

Associate Professor And Research Director

DVC (Research)

Ebony Heslop

Ebony Heslop

Research Principal

DVC (Research)

Chris Briggs

Chris Briggs

Program Lead - Energy Futures

DVC (Research)

  • James Macken

SDGs

This project is working towards UN Sustainable Development Goals 6, 11 and 13.

Read about ISF's SDG work

Explore Water

Institute for Sustainable Futures; Water

Research Centre

Years

  • 2022-2023

Location

  • Greater Metropolitan Sydney

Client

  • WaterNSW

| Sustainability |

 

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