EWSC Framework

What actions can we take?

Assets, values, and stewardship are the building blocks for water smart communities, are the domains where innovation can occur. Any innovative actions within these three areas, whether individually or combined, can move us closer to making WSCs possible.

The EWSC Framework can be used as a tool to map and prioritise actions and identify opportunities for collaboration with others in complimentary areas.

The EWSC Framework organises the breadth of possible actions into nine action areas in an accessible way. Actions can span across the building blocks of the EWSC model - values, assets and stewardship at different levels of system complexity - from individual, and network, to system.

Understanding and Applying the EWSC Framework

EWSC MODEL 

Essential building blocks for an WSC

The EWSC Framework

Click on each card to learn more

Stewardship

SYSTEM COMPLEXITY 

Level of integration between individual actions and wider systems

Assets

Individual

Aligning each actor’s stewardship roles and obligations with values, capacity and capability. Cultivating cultures of care and respect for water as a common good.

Value

Actions towards delivery of water smart assets that can be shaped directly through the site or community scale development.

Considering core duties (must do, should do, could do, can't do) personal or organisational value case made, and the value captured.

Network

Multiple actors aligning to form new entities with new forms of agreement for sharing ownership / management linked to shared risks and value

Considering dependency with asset networks within and beyond the site. Considering partnership action to increase integration across water smart systems

Values shared between individuals and organisations, where the wider benefits beyond core duties is captured. This is where organisations can align around shared values.

System

Embedding concepts of intergenerational stewardship. Enabling stewardship through norms, cultures, funding, finance, and changes to policy, legislation and regulation.

Regional/national actions - consider regulation, governance, design standards, and asset management approaches to support water smart innovation

Systems and processes for capturing, pooling and distributing shared outcomes and value arising from individual or collective action across multiple systems

Transformation can happen at various scales, and will look different for each actor. Ultimately, we want system-level uptake of WSCs, which means delivering the EWSC Model at various degrees of system complexity. As progress can happen at different points across the system, action can take many forms. The framework illustrates this. It is a living tool, which can absorb new learning and understanding. It can support prioritisation and decision-making activities across the project.

The framework recognises the importance of bottom-up initiatives and individual actions. It also reflects the potential impact of enabling and scaling these through system-level actions, such as policy change. The nature of the framework means that areas are highly interdependent, often requiring actions in one area to unlock transformation in another.

The vertical axis is not linear, but rather advocates for the integration of all three aspects of the EWSC model. In many cases, one may start in one area and need to build capacity in another. Within each of the building blocks for WSCs (value, assets, stewardship) different scales of action and system complexity are considered.
The horizontal axis moves from lower to higher system complexity and individual to collective action. It can speak to different scales and contexts. There will be multiple ways through the framework to build system coherence across value, assets and stewardship. Actions can be taken at three levels: individual, network and system. They range from isolated components or singular actions, through more expansive collective, networked interventions, to actions at the scale of whole systems.

Actions can take many forms

The framework acknowledges different possible entry points and capacities for action. Starting in one of these action areas one may identify the need to build capacity in another then identify pathways towards that end. Linked actions might combine bottom-up innovation with top-down support to scale its impact. Singular actions such as a change in legislation may create instant ripple effects across the whole system.

Pathways

Ripple Effects

Linked Actions

Case Studies

Pathways

Kennett Community Land Trust, UK

This 500-home development in East Cambridgeshire is led by local stakeholders in partnership with the landowner, local authority, and developer. The Kennett CLT plays a key role in design and development, ensuring ensuring that the site is developed with the community, for the community. The project prioritises low-density, high-quality housing with open spaces and infrastructure improvements. Committed to near-net-zero carbon development, homes feature energy and water efficient systems, like solar panels, and EV charging. The development aims for a net-gain in biodiversity, with Kennett CLT managing 33% affordable homes and community amenities within the garden village.

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Ripple Effects

Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, Wales

A demonstrator project that showed how WSUD principles could be adapted to smaller development scales.
The Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities program uncovered new evidence affirming the benefits and technical feasibility of integrating Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles into housing developments. Melbourne Water, as a water wholesaler, mitigated financial risk by underwriting a demonstrator site, the "Lynbrooke Estate Housing Development," showcasing the success of incorporating WSUD principles into housing development. The project's success catalysed widespread adoption of WSUD principles, influencing the integration of these principles into water policy and fostering increased community engagement in WSUD design over time.
Image credit: Joshua Zeuner

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Linked Actions

Lynbrook Estate, Australia

In 2015, the Welsh Assembly enacted the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, aiming to enhance social, cultural, environmental, and economic well-being. The Act mandates long-term planning and intergenerational stewardship, inspiring values beyond legal obligations. Public bodies must consider the lasting impact of decisions, collaborate effectively, and address issues like poverty and climate change. The Act has influenced Welsh Water's Wellbeing Commitment is, and a similar UK-wide legislation is under consideration, promising positive societal impacts.
Image credit: Welsh Government