Methods for strategic challenges help small islands save water

Methodology for strategic challenges used to save water

KTH Executive School has developed a methodology to help our participants to solve strategic challenges. The same methodology was recently used together with eights small islands that all face the challenge to reduce their water footprints and save 25% of the fresh water.

Anders-Christoforos — Anders Nordström, Stockholms Universitet och Christoforos Perakis, CRES

One part of the methodology was “Six Thinking Hats”

The Challenge workshop is based on recent, detailed field studies of the water situation on each of the islands made by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. With live support from professors Anders Nordström and Sara Borgström and facilitated by Christian Pleijel from the KTH Executive School, the meeting used the “Six Thinking Hats” of Edward de Bono to discuss facts, best and worst practices in water saving and solutions on how to save water. They found that clever combinations of changes in human behaviour, simple small-scale household and large-scale technologies, smart pricing and wise governance can lead to individual island water savings ranging from 10 to 55% within two years.

Attention from media

This would mean 18 billions of litres saved a year, which gained much attention from Croatian media and was broadcasted on the national TV channel. If all this water is desalinated (it often is on islands), it would also mean a huge saving on energy and money.

Attention from the European Parliament

With strong support from member of European Parliament Tonino Picula, who is vice president of the Parliament’s Intergroup on islands and coastal areas, the project team is going to present their findings and suggestions before the European Parliament on November 22. The eight islands also want to form a group of “Water Saving Labs”, a two-year project to measure their ongoing accomplishments and to share their knowledge and experiences within the group, with other islands and to each and everyone who wants to learn how you can make smaller water footprints.

Christian Pleijel, Director Sustainable Urban Systems