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Understanding the knowledge of climate-change impacts on water-resources is a priority. This article goes a step further with the main objective of this study to explore water-practitioners' viewpoints regarding the water supply-side and water demand-side management measures in coping with future climatic impacts to achieve urban water security. Interviews were conducted with water-professionals from regional urban water authorities of Queensland, Australia. From a water-practitioner's viewpoint, surface water is perceived to remain a high-priority water resource for the region, although climate-change is projected to make this resource more vulnerable in the area. Climate-change risks have rarely been considered as a selection-criterion when long-term water solutions were investigated by water-practitioners. Although non-pricing water demand management policies were used to reduce water demand in the region, pricing-based water demand management tools are perceived by the water-professionals to be the most effective at reducing water demand in the study area, if implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study conceptualises water security indicators in the regional urban context for water security policy formulation and implementation. The paper used a Process Analysis Method (PAM) to develop and apply a set of Urban Water Security (UWS) indicators suitable for the regional urban water authorities. The UWS indicators were calibrated and validated by the relevant stakeholders of the northern, tropical, urban region of Queensland, Australia. Although the priorities for different regional cities vary, the indicators are expected to help water authorities monitor, measure and track their policy performance over time. • Regional cities are having their unique water supply security challenges. • Urban water supply Indicators designed with stakeholder consultation and verification. • Indicators are developed to support urban water supply policy formulation to improve water security. • Pilots the indicators in a regional urban water context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]