ace much the same way as in nuclear power generation. There may be regulatory requirements put in place for additional monitoring and reactive systems to be developed that are capable of triggering emergency responses similar to the way immune systems work. Overall, it is expected that technology will help to attenuate the overall increasing costs of water services. This will be due to: new techniques (scientific, sensor and ICT) and better ways of managing information and hence performance, resulting in smarter ways of operating new and current systems; greater energy; and resource efficiency (net surplus). This presupposes continuing investment in R&D at current levels. One slight concern is that with increasing private sector involvement, R&D may become more internalised, possibly constraining major advances in technology. Hence a modest benefit has been assumed in the analysis below. Environmental changes Climate change in its impact on weather patterns will have a noticeable impact on water resources, albeit one as yet uknown (Bolwidt, 2005). The greater climate variability and uncertainty will increase the vulnerability of resources across the globe. This will also occur in those countries and regions where there is not expected to be an increase in demand for withdrawals. Two potential but not mutually exclusive responses may be envisaged to increase the security of supply. One is through storage projects such as dams and reservoirs; however, it is not expected that this provision will be adequate to completely mitigate the effects of climate change (Bolwidt, 2005). Indeed the World Bank and ICD envisage continuing activity in this direction, although it has to be questioned how long the trend can be supported given the high costs and environmental and social impacts. Dual usage for energy generation may, however, maintain its momentum, as hydropower is a sustainable energy source. As global temperatures increase, and especially in those countries where there is already a scarcity of resources, the efficie