Water businesses have always sought to plan for drought-resilient urban water supply systems, especially in areas with extreme climate variability. The recently completed Lower Hunter Water Plan was developed to support population and business growth, and ensure reliable water supplies in drought. As well as introducing Water Wise Rules to encourage water conservation in normal conditions, the plan identified a portfolio (or combination) of drought response measures to be deployed progressively in a drought as water storage levels drop. The keys to the success of the Plan were thorough consultation with stakeholders, and collaborative analysis facilitating transparent evaluation of trade-offs among options and portfolios. A multi-criteria decision analysis process guided the assessment of the drought response options against both quantitative and qualitative criteria, and the assembly and analysis of portfolios. The process integrated the assessment of social and environmental criteria with cost effectiveness analysis, along with analysis of contextual uncertainties and risks, to determine the resilience of the options under different scenarios. The outcome was a portfolio of drought response options that best met the weighted criteria and satisfied their objectives.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
December 01 2015
Consultative multi-criteria decision making process for drought security Available to Purchase
Pierre Mukheibir;
Pierre Mukheibir
*
aInstitute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, New South Wales, Australia
*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Cathy Cole;
Cathy Cole
bMetropolitan Water Directorate, NSW Department of Primary Industries, 117 Bull St, Newcastle West, NSW 2302, New South Wales, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Kate Drinkwater;
Kate Drinkwater
bMetropolitan Water Directorate, NSW Department of Primary Industries, 117 Bull St, Newcastle West, NSW 2302, New South Wales, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Kumi Abeysuriya
Kumi Abeysuriya
aInstitute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, New South Wales, Australia
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Practice and Technology (2015) 10 (4): 725–738.
Citation
Pierre Mukheibir, Cathy Cole, Kate Drinkwater, Kumi Abeysuriya; Consultative multi-criteria decision making process for drought security. Water Practice and Technology 1 December 2015; 10 (4): 725–738. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wpt.2015.089
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
eBook
Pay-Per-View Access
$38.00