Energy sector transformation: Implications for water governance

The energy sector is undergoing major transformation. An under-recognised aspect of this transformation is the implications it has for the availability and quality of our freshwater water resources. Indeed, population growth combined with climate change and associated policies to address it, pose significant challenges for how we use our precious water resources, and the energy sector is set to become an increasingly important "user" of water in the decades to come. However, despite the important links, and parallels, between the two sectors, the two commodities are perceived, governed and managed in markedly different ways. This paper explores four aspects of the energy sector's transformation that pose particular challenges for water governance.