The challenge 

Ignoring the complexity of water systems results in the overexploitation of water resources and increased damage from, and pollution of, water environment systems. 

The solution 

Develop methods and tools to generate evidence regarding the performance of an integrated water system to be implemented globally. 

The impact 

Support strategies for integrated water management and planning at the systems level that help inform decisions on water allocation in India, and in similar regions globally. 

 

Water systems integration (WSI) is a process of coordinating human water needs and protection from water-related issues while minimising pollution and environmental degradation. A research group at Imperial College London is developing the methods and tools that will enable WSI to address complex global challenges  

Through its collaboration with the Indian Insitute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and other leading Indian institutions, Imperial’s Water Systems Integration Research Group is tackling the urgent need for integrated water management to combat the overexploitation of water resources. The ongoing work is enabling informed decisions for sustainable water use in India and beyond, contributing to long-term global water security. Research is conducted using the water systems integration modelling framework (WSIMOD). An Imperial-developed open-source Python software package, WSIMOD contains modelled elements of the whole urban and rural water cycle. These can interact to represent any water cycle under review, enabling the work to be carried out in many regions globally. 

Collaborative research with partners in India 

Ongoing research involves the novel assessment of global water planetary boundaries using integrated modelling and WSIMOD to map human-environment interactions and improve decision-making in water management. A collaboration between Imperial and IISc Bangalore is tackling unique water challenges in acute areas by combining global scientific expertise with local knowledge. As leads on the recently completed VENTURA project (Virtual decision rooms for water neutral urban planning), the group worked with researchers from the British Geological Survey and University College London to create and test a prototype tool for early-stage planning for integrated water management.   

Enabling evidence-based decision-making 

Evidence-based WSI modelling is essential to avoid overexploitation of water resources. The research group’s work is leading to the development of tools and methods that address the complexity of water systems. The research has fundamentally changed the way in which water management is approached, with new theories being tested through several policy and impact, studies. This holistic analysis will support collaborative decision-making that will help to inform human water needs and related issues in the future.