In a live insider session in September 2026, we brought together experts from across drought resilience, water efficiency, behaviour change and land management to discuss drought resilience. We reflected on this summer’s record-breaking conditions, examining how organisations can move beyond temporary measures towards approaches that normalise sustainable water use across homes, businesses, and communities.
About drought resilience
July 2026 was the driest for England and Wales since records began 190 years ago, and according to the Climate Change Committee, drier summers will mean shortfalls in water supply could reach over five billion litres per day by 2050.
This summer we experienced how drought and heatwaves trigger temporary behaviour changes, awareness campaigns, and short-term demand reduction, but building drought resilience in the UK is no longer a seasonal challenge. Long-term resilience requires sustained behavioural and systemic change.
Building drought resilience means creating lasting water-efficient behaviours, improving how water is valued and used, strengthening community engagement, and supporting policy frameworks that enable long-term adaptation.
Achieving this transition will require collaboration across water companies, regulators, policymakers, local authorities, landowners, businesses, and communities.
What you will learn
- How water companies can move beyond traditional awareness campaigns to create lasting water-efficient behaviours
- Which behaviour change approaches and interventions are most likely to deliver sustained impact
- What other countries are doing to embed long-term behaviour change
- The role of policy and regulatory frameworks in enabling proactive drought adaptation
- How organisations can maintain engagement with water efficiency throughout the year, not just during drought events
- Practical lessons from behaviour change and sustainability programmes that can support future drought resilience planning
Organisations that act now will be better positioned to reduce environmental impacts, avoid costly emergency responses, and support long-term water security.
Who should watch
- Water companies and water resource managers
- Policymakers and regulators
- Members of professional bodies and industry associations
- Local authorities and regional planners
- Water efficiency and consumer groups
- Sustainability, environmental and resilience professionals
- Businesses with significant water use and water stewardship responsibilities
- Landowners and property developers
- Anyone interested in the future of drought resilience, water efficiency, and climate adaptation in the UK.
Meet the speakers
- Dr Shai Kassirer, Water & Marine Co-Lead at Eunomia
- Dr Clare Twigger-Ross, Climate Adaptation Lead at Eunomia
- Professor Liz Sharp, Professor of Water and Planning at The University of Sheffield
- Dr Fatima Ajia, Independent Consultant at Environmently
- Kelly Hewson-Fisher, Director & Head of Rural Research at Savills