Managing Water for the City of the Future
Theme 5: Urban Water Planning
Introduction
There is a need for improved integration of rivers, lakes, banks, and their landscape systems in the urban water cycle and in sustainable ecosystems planning. It is important to recognise and specify the value of these landscapes in their function of urban recreation, regional identities and social qualities. This calls for the strengthening of ecological and socially sustainable urban water development strategies in the rapidly growing cities of tomorrow. Similarly, there is a need for integration of existing water infrastructure and engineering works, such as ports, banks and channels, in the urban water cycle and in sustainable ecosystem planning.
Cities also need food, which needs water to grow it. Urban agriculture is a way of providing some of this food without transporting it long distances. Water has also an important function in greening the city, or to service sport fields and golf courses. These water uses may become much more efficient if storm water and wastewater is reused. In the past few decades work on integrated urban water use and urban agriculture focused on awareness raising, analysis and discussion, with a few pioneers. It has contributed to the realisation that agriculture may contribute to resolving urban problems (poverty, waste management problems, malnutrition, social exclusion).
Water bodies in large cities, and in the respective river basin are generally stressed due to pressures of water abstraction and pollution discharge. Where rivers or streams are still clean, increasing pressures of global change (urbanisation, increased abstraction and pollution) pose a threat in the near future. The processes in natural systems relating to water purification and remediation can be employed for effective urban water management in two ways: a) by applying the processes of natural systems in 'ecotechnologies' (e.g. AWWT, constructed wetlands, stabilization ponds), or, b) by employing full scale natural systems (e.g. river bank filtration, natural wetlands, phytotechnology, eco-hydrology).
Click here to read more about the rationale, objectives, approach and activities for Theme 5.
Click here for an overview presentation of Theme 5, given by Rae Mackay.
Work packages
5.1: Urban Waterscapes – Planning and development in urban transformation processes
5.2: Use of urban water (fresh and wastewater) for urban agriculture and other livelihood opportunities
5.3: Maximising the use of natural systems in all aspects of the municipal water cycle
Each work package is divided into several tasks. Click here to view more information about the objectives, deliverables, milestones and planning for each task.
Resources
Click here to view a list of all resources associated with theme 5 and to download those of interest.
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