Introducing the Water Planning Lab

The Water Planning Lab at the University of British Columbia seeks to build partnerships between researchers and professional planners to address water-related challenges in British Columbia. We live in a region with relatively abundant fresh water, however we are not immune to problems of scarcity, pollution or inefficiency. Furthermore, climate change is likely to modify precipitation patterns and alter the hydrological cycle around the world, including here in B.C.

Our research group has expertise in water economics, program evaluation, water treatment, watershed planning, aquatic ecology, water governance and stakeholder engagement. We seek to apply this knowledge to address real water planning problems where we live.

We are particularly interested in water demand management among residential consumers. We hypothesize that municipal governments in Metro Vancouver have multiple opportunities to reduce residential water use through a combination of programs or policies based on incentives, information or social norms. We are interested in comparing the effectiveness of different water conservation strategies frequently used by municipal governments. Which approach is most successful in reducing household water consumption? How persistent are the effects? Under which circumstances are they effective? Which strategy is most cost-effective? How do these approaches compare to supply based measures? We are especially interested in answering these questions through an experimental design with residential water users. An experimental design will produce robust results and help us contribute to the evidence-base for water conservation strategies.

If you are interested in collaborating with the Water Planning Lab, please contact us.