Drought planning as a proxy for water security in England

In many jurisdictions the condition of water scarcity (or water stress), either seasonally or continually, is occurring more frequently due to development pressures, increased water usage, and climate change. In England drought is a growing and central concern for public water supply security such that drought planning by water companies has become a major feature of water resources planning. In this regime, water companies develop drought triggers - based in part on customers' stated preferences (willingness to pay) - as a decision-making tool to guide the implementation of particular drought management options. The article finds that the strong link between levels of service and drought-trigger curves produces an emphasis on supply over demand management. And, it finds The regulatory framework makes drought planning a proxy for water security.