The challenges we face in the West Country

In planning future water supply, there are several challenges that we need to consider:

• Population growth: Between 2020 and 2050 population in the region is expected to grow by around 13%. Supplying the higher population will place additional pressure on the region’s water resources
• Climate change: The latest forecasts of the likely impact of climate change suggest that in the future we’ll experience much lower levels of summer rainfall. This means that we’ll have to plan to ensure we have sufficient supply available through these drier periods
• Environmental needs: A changing climate and growing population will place greater stress on the environment. We need to ensure that we plan to minimise or reduce the environmental impact of our activities
• Resilience: The potential impact of drought on water users is high. We need to plan to meet water needs in more extreme future droughts
• Uncertainty: Forecasting decades into the future is fraught with uncertainty. That means we have to plan in a flexible way that ensures that we’re able to meet our aims whatever the future holds