Water resources management

Water resource management encompasses a wide range of disciplines and expertise, including integrated water resources management, assessment of the demand for water for drinking and irrigation purposes, groundwater mapping and surface water monitoring, simulation and modelling of the hydrologic cycle, legislation, river basin management, institutional and capacity building and water resources protection.

Ramboll has extensive experience in water resource management and an impressive portfolio of projects for national and international organisations, governmental institutions, municipalities and water supply companies. Our engineers, hydrologists, geologists, geophysicists, chemists, sociologists and agronomists provide our customers with up-to-date knowledge and hands-on experience in the implementation of water resources management. All to ensure sustainable water supply now and for the future.

Learn more about our services within Geophysics.

An integrated approach to water management

The key challenges of contemporary water management can only be understood within the very broad context of the world’s socio economic systems. It is widely accepted that sustainable and equitable water management only can be achieved using an integrated approach. Assessment of the resource is the basis for rational decision-making, and authorities that use such assessments must be further supported and expanded from local to international levels.

Ramboll's integrated approach to water resources ensures that the management, development and utilisation of water resources, satisfies socio economic, environmental, sustainability and multi-sectoral water demands. Advanced technical solutions are applied and  stakeholders are encouraged to participate.

Ensuring safe drinking water

Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right and a key component of an efficient policy for health protection. Managing water resources to ensure satisfying drinking water quality is a global concern and a priority for sustainable development - the supply of drinking water of good quality is the basis for the proper functioning society.

Surface water is used as the primary drinking water resource in most countries. Around the world, Ramboll has supported many utilities and authorities manage surface water and river catchment areas to ensure a sustainable future drinking water resource and provided the overview of the available resource.

Uneven distribution of surface water and the deterioration in quality is likely to result in an increasing reliance on groundwater resources during the coming decades. Increasing industrialisation and thereby increasing risk of pollution is added to the risks of over-abstraction of groundwater, potential given subsidence or saline intrusion. When combining surface and groundwater, an integrated approach to water resources management will become ever more important.

Ramboll has, due to the Danish national groundwater mapping programme, extensive experience within groundwater mapping. These competences include services within geophysical surveys, 3D geological modelling, groundwater modelling and well field exploration strategies.

Reuse of water has within the last decade been introduced many places as a new or additional source of water. Ramboll has carried out studies on integrating reuse of water in the overall water consumption still ensuring safe and sound drinking water.

Related services

• Climate adaption and flood risk management
• Water supply and leakage
• Water and wastewater process and treatment
• Water and wastewater infrastructure

Climate change and water quality

Global climate change is likely to increase the frequency and severity of droughts and floods, and is becoming an ever more important factor for both the quantity and quality of groundwater and surface water resources. Water resources need to be managed in a holistic way for future generations. With increasing abstraction rates the question of optimising our use of water resources will become increasingly important to maintain good quality drinking water. Combination of droughts and over-extraction can cause lowering of groundwater table, with eventually potential water scarcity. To prevent this, it is important to have a common administrative understanding, disregarded more arbitrary decisions.  You can read more about our climate adaptation and flood risk management services here.

The EU Water Framework Directive

In Europe, the Water Framework Directive defines European ambitions for the protection of our precious water resources. It aims to promote sustainable water consumption, reduce water pollution and to ensure the progressive reduction of groundwater pollution. The Directive takes a holistic approach to these topics, requiring public stakeholder involvement and socio economic studies to be part of the planning and implementation process. Ramboll’s integrated expertise in water resources, river basin management, shareholder involvement and water economics enables us to assist our customers with new challenges posed by the Water Framework Directive.