Water efficiency in faith and diverse communities
This began as a multi-partner project, funded through the Ofwat Innovation Fund. Subsequent activity has benefitted from an Impact Acceleration Award.
Cambridge research funded by Ofwat
In the Ofwat-funded project, the Cambridge Interfaith Programme had responsibility for an academic research phase, combining interviews and desk-based research to deepen understanding of how diverse religious communities in Cambridge engage with water use. The research work was led by Dr Anastasia Badder, whose findings are available to download in the report “Water and/in religious relations: a Cambridge study”.
The Cambridge Interfaith Programme also hosted a knowledge-exchange conference with academics and practitioners in April 2024, under the curation of Dr Safet HadziMuhamedovic. Professor Veronica Strang (Oxford) delivered the keynote.
Water efficiency
The wider Ofwat-funded project ran for 21 months from July 2023 with the intention of developing an evidence-based comprehensive water efficiency engagement and support framework which water companies can adopt in the future. Work was led by South Staffordshire Water (also trading as Cambridge Water). A final report is available from South Staffs Water (see below).
The Ofwat Innovation project brought together a range of experts, academics, and faith groups to develop and introduce new bespoke water saving interventions and behaviour change campaigns linked to faith and culture. At the outset, partners hoped for significant environmental and social benefits: reducing per capita consumption for water, building public trust, and supporting hard-to-reach vulnerable customers.
Partners in the Ofwat project included: Waterwise, Severn Trent Water, South West Water, Affinity Water, Southern Water, Northumbrian Water, Get Water Fit, Hindu Climate Action, Eco Dharma Network, Cambridge Central Mosque
Developments
Following on from CIP’s engagement with South Staffs & Cambridge Water, Dr Badder obtained funding to carry out more collaborations with a co-productive ethos. These include: workshops with local community interest company, Water Sensitive Cambridge; and the Value of Water series (from May 2025) organised in partnership with Dr Edoardo Borgomeo from the Faculty of Engineering.
Further activity is expected. For example, with Lauryn Duncan-Rouse, Dr Badder has co-developed a speculative fiction approach inspired by the Barcelona Cabinet of Crisis model. There are ambitions to build on this approach and provide tools for those who wish to run similar exercises.
Engagement with schools and education professionals indicates there may be value in preparing new resources to support a scripture-based encounter with “the value of water”. Further information on enquiry.
Further reading
Reports from the Ofwat Innovation Fund project
Conference report: Being with Water Otherwise
Water and/in Religious Relations report (Cambridge, January 2024)
Ofwat Innovation Fund project report (via South-Staffs-Water.co.uk, 2025).
Events in Cambridge
Inter Faith Week 2023 | Religion and Water
Conference: Being with Water Otherwise, 15–16 April 2024
Joint summer school: Religion and Climate Futures, 1–5 July 2024
Dr Anastasia Badder partnered with Water Sensitive Cambridge (supported by CRASSH) to host community events in October 2024 and April 2025:
Event: Dear Community: Water with our head, hands and heart (October 2024)
Event: Dear City: Water and nature in Cambridge
Related activities
A miniseries exploring The Value of Water with water engineers, water industry actors and others began in May 2025.
See also the Cabinet of Crisis (January 2025), the World of Water and the Value of Water at the Cambridge Festival (March 2025).
In July 2024, Dr Badder and colleagues led a half-day workshop on values with students from the Cambridge MSt in Sustainability Leadership.
Dr Badder and Dr Hine delivered a keynote based on this research as part of the 2024 RExChange conference hosted by Culham St Gabriel's Trust. This joint keynote is available to watch on CSGT's YouTube channel.
Some industry outcomes are reported on the main WaterInnovation.Challenges.org website.
[Page updated: September 2025.]
Related publications
Anastasia R. Badder 2023 | Water and/in religious relations: a Cambridge study
This 42-page report incorporates findings and recommendations from four months of fieldwork with Cambridge communities.
Download the report as a PDF (1.38MB).
Safet HadžiMuhamedović 2024 | Being with Water OTHERWISE.
This 13-page report reflects on the April 2024 conference, capturing key points from papers, panels and discussion.
