Urban water consumption in water-stressed areas of the developed world: an examination of multiple interrelated variables

Abstract

The developed world has witnessed significant land changes since the second half of the 20th century. These include a process of intensive urban development, which is also accompanied by the growth in the urban population and housing. One of the outcomes of this process has been an increase in the consumption of resources, including water. The aim of this paper is to identify and analyse the factors affecting water consumption and the areas studied in water-stressed regions of the developed world. A literature review of territorial studies examining the factors that affect urban water consumption in these areas was conducted methodologically. The results reveal that: a) a significant number of papers have been written on water consumption factors in areas where there is substantial urban growth; and b) North America and Australia, have been compared to the rest of the developed world (especially Southern Europe), recently (since 2000s) due to the expansion of the low-density urbanism in the last few years.