The water sensitive city: principles for practice

Abstract

With the widespread realisation of the significance of climate change, urban communities are increasingly seeking to ensure resilience to future uncertainties in urban water supplies, yet change seems slow with many cities facing ongoing investment in the conventional approach. This is because transforming cities to more sustainable urban water cities, or to Water Sensitive Cities, requires a major overhaul of the hydro-social contract that underpins conventional approaches. This paper provides an overview of the emerging research and practice focused on system resilience and principles of sustainable urban water management Three key pillars that need to underpin the development and practice of a Water Sensitive City are proposed: (i) access to a diversity of water sources underpinned by a diversity of centralised and decentralised infrastructure; (ii) provision of ecosystem services for the built and natural environment; and (iii) socio-political capital for sustainability and water sensitive behaviours. While there is not one example in the world of a Water Sensitive City, there are cities that lead on distinct and varying attributes of the water sensitive approach and examples from Australia and Singapore are presented.

Interdisciplinarity: How to catalyse collaboration

“…As a consequence, our stormwater-biofiltration technology has been increasingly adopted in cities across Australia 6 , Singapore, China and Israel. Since 2010, our expanded framework for integrated city-wide water-cycle management 7,8 has been used by governments (such as those of Australia, Singapore and China) and international organizations (such as the Asian Development Bank) to guide their strategic planning and investment.…”

Application of the Improved City Blueprint Framework in 45 Municipalities and Regions

“…First step in fostering sustainable IWRM is a description of the current state, thereby creating awareness, and identifying the most viable opportunities (Philip et al 2011). Wong and Brown (2009) identified three pillars that should be integrated in IWRM to attain water wise or water sensitive cities: (I) cities as water supply catchments, using diverse centralized and decentralized water sources; (II) cities as providers of ecosystem services that prevent the surrounding environment for degradation and depletion as well as promoting urban biodiversity; (III) cities hosting water sensitive communities that promote sustainable decision making and behavior. Their three pillar approach aspires: (I) integration between water planning and urban planning; (II) (climate) adaptive and multi-functional infrastructure; and (III) collaboration between science, policy, practice and community.…”

Challenges to the human right to water and to the sustainability of services in Santa Cruz, Cabo Verde

“…According to Thomas & Durham (2003), given the complexity of the decision-making process inherent to initiatives of this type, they can only be implemented within a context of integrated water resource management (Thomas & Durham, 2003). Singapore has been successful in developing centralized policies to this end, which resulted decisively in increasing the supply of water and ensuring the country's water autonomy, allowing the city to be cited as an example of a water-sensitive city (Wong & Brown, 2009). …”