This book is an outcome of the workshop on water demand forecasting in 1985. It summarises the 'state-of-the-art' in water demand forecasting, and identifies some of its links with environmental issues. The book discusses some of the issues raised in more detail and provides case studies.

A common characteristic of water demand in urban areas worldwide is its inexorable rise over many years; continued growth is projected over coming decades. The chief influencing factors are population growth and migration, together with changes in lifestyle, demographic structure and the possible effects of climate change (the detailed implications of climate change are not yet clear, and anyway will depend on global location, but must at least increase the uncertainty in security of supply). This is compounded by rapid development, creeping urbanization and, in some places, rising standards of living. Meeting this increasing demand from existing resources is self-evidently an uphill struggle, particularly in water stressed/scarce regions in the developed and developing world alike. There are typically two potential responses: either "supply-side" (meeting demand with new resources) or "demand-side" (managing consumptive demand itself to postpone or avoid the need to develop new resources). There is considerable pressure from the general public, regulatory agencies, and some governments to minimise the impacts of new supply projects (e.g. building new reservoirs or inter-regional transfer schemes), implying the emphasis should be shifted towards managing water demand by best utilising the water that is already available. Water Demand Management has been prepared by the academic, government and industry network WATERSAVE. The concept of the book is to assemble a comprehensive picture of demand management topics ranging from technical to social and legal aspects, through expert critical literature reviews. The depth and breadth of coverage is a unique contribution to the field and the book will be an invaluable information source for practitioners and researchers, including water utility engineers/planners, environmental regulators, equipment and service providers, and postgraduates. Contents Water consumption trends and demand forecasting techniques The technology, design and utility of rainwater catchment systems Understanding greywater treatment Water conservation products Water conservation and sewerage systems An introduction to life cycle and rebound effects in water systems Developing a strategy for managing losses in water distribution networks Demand management in developing countries Drivers and barriers for water conservation and reuse in the UK The economics of water demand management Legislation and regulation mandating and influencing the efficient use of water in England and Wales Consumer reactions to water conservation policy instruments Decision support tools for water demand management

Aims to demonstrate why demand-side management is critical to urban water supply planning and to provide methods for incorporation. This book explains how and why urban water demands have changed over time and includes methods for the analysis of urban water demands. It also offers methods for integrating supply side and demand-side planning and management.

This book arose out of a paper that I wrote for the World Bank at the request of Ariel Dinar, the editor for the series in which this volume appears. I began that paper by pointing to the growing importance of demand-side considerations in water resources: "The provision of potable water is one of government's oldest functions with evidence of this activity stretching back thousands of years. During much of that time, water demands were taken as exogenously given and the principle task of authorities was defined as an engineering one: how to supply a given quantity of water at least cost. In recent years, however, concerns have arisen from observations of excessive water use, degraded water quality and continued inadequate service for many, especially the very poor. As a result of these and other concerns, there is a growing effort to view water resource allocation from a perspective that incorporates consumers' preferences along with supply constraints into management plans. " (Renzetti, 2000, p. 123). The purpose of this volume is to examine, in greater detail than was possible in that article, what is known regarding the economic characteristics of the demand for water. Thus, this book is meant to be an extended critical review of the state of the art.

Forecasting is required in many situations. Stocking an inventory may require forecasts of demand months in advance. Telecommunication routing requires traffic forecasts a few minutes ahead. Whatever the circumstances or time horizons involved, forecasting is an important aid in effective and efficient planning. This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to forecasting methods and presents enough information about each method for readers to use them sensibly.

The book focuses on soft computing and its applications to solve real-world problems in different domains, ranging from medicine and health care, to supply chain management, image processing and cryptanalysis. It includes high-quality papers presented at the International Conference on Soft Computing: Theories and Applications (SoCTA 2018), organized by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. Offering significant insights into soft computing for teachers and researchers alike, the book inspires more researchers to work in the field of soft computing.