Author: Bernadette A Foley
(PhD Research Scholar) & Trevor M Daniell
(Associate Professor)
Summary:
-The problems we have today cannot be solved by thinking the way we thought when we created them- (Einstein). Many water systems planned or constructed prior to the 1990s did not consider the concept of sustainability and were based on traditional technical thinking, analytical processes and decision-making techniques. The question now is, can we develop sustainable water systems by using the same thinking and decision making techniques? A model has been presented that develops sustainability as a journey, balancing economic, environmental and social factors in both spatial and temporal dimensions. Over time, the number, complexity, variety and interconnectedness of factors required for managing water resource projects have increased. Analytical or economic techniques are no longer sufficient or appropriate, and inputting the data into a black box for analysis would appear unnecessary.
