Drought, pollution, and climate change all contribute to water scarcity, where demand exceeds the available water supply. Its effects can be felt across all levels of society, but particularly by disadvantaged and marginalized groups, and disproportionately by women and children. One way to address water scarcity is through water-sensitive urban design, which is used to sustainably manage water and achieve more livable cities and healthy waterways. Incorporating diverse environmental, social, policy, and economic considerations into water management will help water-sensitive cities to support their inhabitants.
Researchers Behnaz Avazpour, Paul Osmond, and Linda Corkery investigated using underrated water resource components – rainwater and stormwater – as part of an integrated approach to water-sensitive design. In their recent paper, “Using Water-Sensitive City Factors to Evaluate the Performance of Water Management Projects at a Global Scale,” published in the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, the authors examined factors that can improve the performance of future WSUD projects concentrating on rainwater and stormwater management. This study outlines a framework that addresses policy, social, and environmental challenges that cities are facing to address climate change and tackle stormwater management. Their findings demonstrate the importance of collaboration between engineers and designers to implement WSUD projects and create sustainable cities. Get the full results at https://doi.org/10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-6054. The abstract is below.
Abstract
In recent decades, the effects of climate change, rapid urbanization, and the burdens of economic development have confronted cities with challenges in urban water management. This has resulted in mounting pressures on water resources and contributed to water scarcity and extreme flood events. Water-sensitive cities (WSCs) are cites that are resilient, sustainable, and livable and that offer a range of social, economic, and environmental benefits through water-sensitive urban design (WSUD). This paper bridges the gap between theoretical research and practical applications in stormwater management, presenting new methodologies that can be integrated into current engineering practices. By explicitly defining the concepts of WSC and WSUD, this study provides a clear framework for practitioners and engineers to enhance urban water resilience. The research establishes a set of environmental, social, policy, and economic (ESPE) indicators to evaluate the performance of WSUD projects within urban areas to achieve WSCs. Such indicators apply in three specific phases of WSUD projects: planning and design, implementation, and management and maintenance. The data were collected using a survey that received global responses from 388 water management experts from the aforementioned sectors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to identify the key factors in achieving WSCs. The outcomes of this analysis provide insights to enable water authorities, academics, and practitioners to evaluate the ability of WSUD projects to achieve sustainable water management.
See if a water-sensitive urban design model works for your project in the ASCE Library: https://doi.org/10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-6054.
