sustainability in integrated urban water management
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1 DTU Management Engineering, Technical University of Denmark
Water and Society – Argumenta seminars 2011-12 Chiara Fratini Tampere, 16th December, 2011
Sustainability in Integrated Urban Water Management Dealing with the uncertainties of decission making
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Challenges for cities around the world
•Climate Change •Increasing urban population •Deterioration of existing infrastructures • Stressed ecosystems •Decreasing liveability
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Technical challenges in urban water management
•Water quantity – Floods and Draughts – European Flood Risk Directive
•Water quality – Environmental quality and Biodiversity – Recreational use of water – European Water Framework Directive
•Maintenance of infrastructures – Water infrastructures at the end of their life-span – Maintain urban livability
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Flood control and water quality in Egmont aan Zee
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Context Urban area
Artificial infrastructures
Technical System
System Model Natural Water Cycle
Natural System Urban Green Areas
Social System
Water System
Urban planners
Architects Landscape architects
Water managers
Natural Scientists
Biologists
Citizens Politicians
DMP is complex!
Fratini et al. (subm). Urban Water Journal
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Uncertainties in urban water management
• Statistical: described in statistical terms (Confidence interval) • Scenario: a range of possible outcomes with unknown probabilities •Qualitative: some outcomes are unknown (complex systems) • Recognized ignorance: awareness of lack of knowlegde • Total Ignorance: lack of awareness about imperfect knowledge
Statistical Uncertainties
Scenario Uncertainties
Qualitative Uncertainties
Recognized Ignorance
Total Ignorance
Such uncertainties cannot be reduced!!!
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Uncertainties in urban water management
Statistical Uncertainties
Scenario Uncertainties
Qualitative Uncertainties
Recognized Ignorance
Total Ignorance
Traditional approaches proved to be ineffective!!! • Emphasis on reducing technical uncertainties • Assumptions of stationarity • Reductionism
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Locations of uncertanties
Physical domain Social domain
Natural adaptation vs technical development
Collective imagination vs individual rules and interpretations
Functional Relational
Resilience Interdisciplinarity
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Aspects of Water (Dooyeweerd 1953)
Moral
Legal
Aesthetic
Economic
Social
Linguistic
Historical
Logical
Psychological
Ecological
Chemical
Physical
A+B
Technical System
Natural System
Social System
Moral
Architectural Water System
Legal
Psycological Linguistic
Social
Aesthetic
Economic Logical
Historical
Ecologico (creation, adaptation, destruction)
Interdisciplinarity Resilence
Technical System
Natural System
Social System
Awareness
Uncertainty
Creativity Water System
Responsibility
Variability
Research Sustainability
Traditional vs Sustainable regime Attributes Traditional Regime Sustainable Regime
System Boundary
Water supply, sewerage and flood control for economic and population growth and public health protection
Multiple purposes for water considered over long-term timeframes including waterway health and other sectoral needs i.e. transport, recreation/amenity, micro-climate, energy etc.
Management Approach
Compartmentalisation and optimisation of single components of the water cycle
Adaptive, integrated, sustainable management of the total water cycle (including land-use)
Expertise Narrow technical and economic focussed disciplines
Interdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder learning across social, technical, economic, design, ecological spheres etc.
Service Delivery
Centralised, linear and predominantly technologically and economically based
Alternative, flexible solutions at multiple scales via a suite of approaches (technical, social, economic, ecological etc)
Role of Public
Water managed by government on behalf of communities
Co-management of water between government, local enterprises and communities
Risk Risk regulated and controlled by government
Risk shared and diversified via private and public instruments
Keath and Brown(2009). Water Science & Technology 59 (7), 1271-1280
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Water Sensitive Cities 1. Cities as water supply catchment
• Diversity of water sources for cities • Mix of decentralized and centralized infrastructures • Diversified water uses
2. Cities providing ecosystem services • Low carbon ecosystem services • New ecological landscapes • Sustaining biodiversity • Improve quality of life
3. Cities comprising water sensitive communities and institutions • Community living in an ecologically sustainable lifestyle • Capacity for innovation and adaptation • Reflective practitioners • Government policies for sustainability
Wong and Brown (2009). Water Science & Technology 60, 673-682
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Brown, Keath and Wong (2009). Water Science & Technology 59 (5), 847-855
Transition in Urban Water Management
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Melbourne: a Water Ways City
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“ in Dordrecht (..)a neighborhood quite densely built. They have a green area where people usually go with their dogs. Storage was needed but we couldn’t use the only green area they had. Thus we told them to design that storage area. We gave them the size and we told them: “It does not need to be blue but also green. It should just be able to get flooded only when it rains intensively”. It worked. People were very happy and now they enjoy their place even more” (Kelder, 2008)
Water Sensitive Urban Design in Public Spaces
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Water Sensitive Urban Design in Private Gardens • Dordrecht is densely populated. Storm water from the roofs stress the
combined sewage system • Major problem paved private gardens • Free gardening course more space to water within private properties • Awareness is increased by letting citizens managing water above surface
in their private spaces • Trust increase due to interaction and awareness
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Conclusions • Uncertainties require a more holistic approach to decision making • Water sensitive urban design integrates social and physical domain to
achieve sustainability • Sustainability: developing strategies aiming at resilience through
interdisciplinary processes • Resilience: adaptive, flexible, diverse and integrated solutions over the
urban system as a whole • Interdisciplinary processes: multi-stakeholder learning processes across
a large range of disciplines facilitating the integration of water aspects • Water sensitive cities require co-governance of water among
government, business and community where risk is shared and diversified through private and public instruments
• It is important to develop strategies to facilitate national and local governments to lead this governance transition.