Consultant - Save the Children Report on Lifetime Water Deficit in Warrington

Save the Children International has an exciting short term consulting opportunity for a report on Lifetime Water Deficit.

1. Objective of the Report

The objective of this report is to translate recent scientific research on long-term pressures on renewable water resources into a clear, regionally contextualised narrative for development, climate and WASH audiences, and to propose implications for policy and investment. Specifically, the report will aim to:

• Present the key insights from the recent research on lifetime water deficit for different generations, situating these findings within the broader context of global water security and long-term water system pressures.
• Connect these structural water pressures to the realities facing children and vulnerable populations, drawing on additional evidence sources (e.g. global WASH access data, lived experience research and case studies) to explore how water stress interacts with inequality, governance and how it will be further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change.
• Highlight the implications of these trends for water security, development and children’s wellbeing, recognising that water insecurity is shaped not only by environmental availability but also by infrastructure, management, local adaptations, social factors and intersectionality of children’s lived experience.
• Identify clear recommendations on how child-centred locally led adaptation and WASH policies can mitigate these issues and strengthen resilience and water security for vulnerable populations, including climate-resilient WASH systems, improved water governance and sustainable management of water resources.

The report should present the scientific findings accurately and transparently, avoiding interpretations that imply direct measurement of household water access or lived water insecurity.

2. Scope of the Report

The report will draw on global modelling results from the recent study on “lifetime water deficit”, while situating these findings as one aspect within the broader context of water security, development and WASH. The report should:

• Present the study’s findings on projected changes in renewable surface water supply–demand imbalance across generations, highlighting key regional patterns and trends.
• Focus particularly on regions where structural water pressures intersect with high vulnerability and limited adaptive capacity, primarily in low- and lower-middle-income contexts.
• Complement the modelling results with relevant secondary datasets and existing evidence (e.g. global WASH access data (JMP), water use statistics, groundwater dependence, population trends and lived water insecurity research) to help contextualise the findings and explore how structural water pressures may translate into different outcomes for communities and children in particular.
• This includes linking to other key reports and data related to impact of climate on future water security.
• While the research paper does not point to climate as the main cause, this report should frame how this water insecurity will be further exacerbated by climate issues and demonstrated trends.
• This will be supported by qualitative insights from SC such as quotes on the impact of increasing water insecurity due to climate changes.
• Draw from qualitative case studies developed by SCI or other relevant actors in the WASH sectors (INGOs, Global WASH Cluster, International Organizations).
• Examine the implications of these trends for water security, health, development and children’s wellbeing, including links with climate change, demographic change, governance and water management.
• Draw recommendations that open to a potential second phase of the project focusing on policy responses, investment priorities that can strengthen water security, climate resilience and WASH systems, particularly for vulnerable populations.

The report should clearly distinguish between projected structural water pressures and experienced water insecurity, recognising that the underlying research focuses on renewable surface water dynamics and does not directly measure household water access or lived experience.

3. Target Audience

The intended audience includes policymakers and practitioners working on climate adaptation and WASH issues.

4. Data Set

The underlying scientific study on lifetime water deficit, which provides the primary modelling results on projected renewable surface water supply–demand imbalance. With a focus on fragile and vulnerable context where the compounded effects of lifetime water scarcity can further impact on children’s lives.

Relevant secondary datasets and research that help contextualise these findings, such as global WASH access data (JMP), water use statistics, groundwater dependence, population trends, and existing studies on lived water insecurity. Qualitative insights and case studies, where available, illustrating how water insecurity is experienced by communities and children. Save the Children is exploring the possibility of providing case studies from affected communities to complement the quantitative analysis.

5. Deliverables:

Specific Deliverables: A concise, up to 10-page report detailing key findings from the scientific paper, enhanced with secondary data and qualitative insights to illustrate real-world implications for vulnerable populations and children.

Format and Requirements: The report will be in English, copyedited, ready for design, and limited to 10 pages (excluding references). Any graphics developed can be done in rough outline form that the graphic designer can work with and develop from.

6. Timeline

The consultant will work between 10-15 days on delivering the report, targeting completion by the end of July 2026. An initial outline by the consultant is expected after 5 days of work, 3-5 days for internal review and feedback. The final report should be delivered after 5-10 more days of work by the consultant and integrate the feedback provided.

7. Key Stakeholders

Save the Children is the main organization behind this report. Collaboration with climate scientists who provided the research data, contributing as co-authors of the report.

8. Review and Approval Process

Save the Children, and the contributing researchers will review and approve the report. Other stakeholders that contributed to the research will review the research. Review & feedback regarding the initial outline: 3-5 days. Final review & sign-off: Save the Children have 21 days for final review and sign-off of the report.

9. Confidentiality

The consultant must maintain confidentiality regarding unpublished data intended for publication in Science.

10. Design

Will be managed by a separate graphic design layout service provider after this consultancy is completed.

How to Apply:

Interested consultants are invited to apply by email. Please include the following: A CV and cover letter, a financial proposal, indicating expected days and daily rate. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the advert may be closed earlier than advertised subject to the volume of suitable applicants. Please submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Context and Framing of the Research that this report will be based on

This report will draw on a recent scientific study that introduces the concept of “lifetime water deficit”, which models renewable surface water supply–demand imbalance over time globally. The metric estimates how often modelled water demand exceeds renewable surface water supply, and how this will affect children born now compared to previous generations over their lifetime. Some early discussions around the study interpreted these findings as evidence that large numbers of people will face severe unmet water needs in the future. However, this interpretation does not fully reflect what the research is measuring. The model represents structural renewable surface water pressure and projected impact on different age groups through water scarcity lifetime episodes. The research does not assess people’s lived experience of water insecurity. It does not measure household water access, service reliability, drinking water safety, or whether individuals’ water needs are met in practice. The modelling also does not always include groundwater abstraction as an additional water source, even though groundwater is the primary source of water for many communities where Save the Children works. The study positions that the projected changes in “lifetime water deficit” appear to be primarily driven largely by demographic growth and rising water demand (particularly agriculture) rather than climate change. While climate change interacts with these dynamics in some regions, it is not presented in the study as the main driver of the trends. We need to be careful that the results of the study are not presented as direct evidence that children will lack drinking water or that household water needs will go unmet, but rather that there will be a freshwater deficit.