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Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water...
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Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 39736

Special Issue Editor

Dr. David Sampson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Decision Centre for a Desert City, Arizona State University, 878209 Tempe, AZ, USA
Interests: water law and policy; decision making; algorithm development; urban water use

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Urban water utilities throughout the United States face multiple challenges to delivering safe, affordable potable water to their customers. These challenges have both natural and anthropogenic drivers and include water quality issues and water supply availability (including stormwater management and flood control), all of which may be exacerbated by aging water supply infrastructure. The specific challenges faced by any one water service provider depend on several factors, but user behavioral characteristics, climatic variability and change, infrastructure capacity and condition, and population shifts are common. To meet these challenges, water planners and water utility managers must plan for an uncertain water future. The specific policies and planning needed greatly depends on the geographical location and context. Water quality challenges for account deliveries may be met by improvements to filtration and water treatment (limited only by monetary considerations), while water supply challenges can only be met by conservation, the improved efficiency of water use, new green infrastructure for stormwater capture and use (or discharge), and perhaps increased storage capacity. This Special Issue of the journal Water will accept papers that address current and novel water policy strategies that seek to meet these water quality, water quantity, and infrastructure challenges. New research focused on either empirical or modeling methods and analyses will be considered for this Special Issue.

Dr. David Sampson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • growth
  • climate change
  • alternative water supplies
  • rainwater harvested
  • gray water
  • infrastructure

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2803 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Rainwater Harvesting Potential from Roof Catchments through Clustering Analysis
by Rubén Villar-Navascués, Alfredo Pérez-Morales and Salvador Gil-Guirado
Water 2020, 12(9), 2623; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12092623 - 19 Sep 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4105
Abstract
Rainwater harvesting from rooftop catchments represents a climate change adaptation measure that is especially significant in areas affected by water scarcity. This article develops a Geographic Information Systems-based methodology to evaluate the spatial distribution of rainwater catchment potential to identify the most favorable [...] Read more.
Rainwater harvesting from rooftop catchments represents a climate change adaptation measure that is especially significant in areas affected by water scarcity. This article develops a Geographic Information Systems-based methodology to evaluate the spatial distribution of rainwater catchment potential to identify the most favorable urban areas for the installation of these infrastructures. Since performance and water saving potential of rainwater harvesting systems greatly depends on population density and roof size, this assessment was performed for each residential plot on a per capita basis, based on cadastral data and a method of demographic disaggregation. Furthermore, to evaluate spatial variation of runoff coefficient per building, a supervised classification was carried out to consider the influence of roof types on the rainwater catchment potential. After calculating rainwater catchment potential per capita for each residential plot, the spatial clustering of high (hot spots) and low values (cold spots) was assessed through the Getis-Ord General G statistic. Results indicate a spatial pattern of high rainwater catchment potential values in low-density urban areas, where rainwater catchment systems are expected to offer a better performance and a shorter amortization period. These results may be useful for the enactment of local legislation that regulates the obligation to install these infrastructures or offers subsidies for their implementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future)
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18 pages, 2535 KiB  
Article
Compensating Water Service Interruptions to Implement a Safe-to-Fail Approach to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Water Supply
by Rafael Undurraga, Sebastián Vicuña and Oscar Melo
Water 2020, 12(6), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061540 - 28 May 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3413
Abstract
A city resilient to climate change is characterized by effectively responding to and recovering from the negative impacts of climate hazards. In the city of Santiago, Chile, extreme weather that can be associated with a nascent manifestation of climate change has caused high-turbidity [...] Read more.
A city resilient to climate change is characterized by effectively responding to and recovering from the negative impacts of climate hazards. In the city of Santiago, Chile, extreme weather that can be associated with a nascent manifestation of climate change has caused high-turbidity events, repeatedly forcing the main water company to interrupt the supply of drinking water, affecting millions of people. This study proposes a transformative response to reduce harm from extreme events due to climate change. The traditional approach of increasing resilience through large infrastructure works can be complemented by one-off reductions in water use during emergencies, in exchange for economic compensation. This alternative seeks to transfer the individual responsibility of water companies to a collective one, where the community is an active agent that reduces damage in the face of extreme events resulting from climate change. In the assessment of this response, we used a choice experiment to estimate the minimum amount users are willing to accept in compensation for water service interruptions. The results show that willingness to accept compensation is significant (close to 0.6 USD/hour) and decreases when users have experienced additional unplanned interruptions. The aggregate cost of the compensation is lower than infrastructure investments required to avoid service interruptions under various future hypothetical hydroclimatic scenarios associated with climate change impacts. Therefore, compensation-based instruments for water service interruptions could be a more flexible and cost-effective alternative to infrastructure-based measures to cope with future climate hazards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future)
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22 pages, 4863 KiB  
Article
Assessing Water Security in Water-Scarce Cities: Applying the Integrated Urban Water Security Index (IUWSI) in Madaba, Jordan
by Hassan Tolba Aboelnga, Hazim El-Naser, Lars Ribbe and Franz-Bernd Frechen
Water 2020, 12(5), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12051299 - 5 May 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 7581
Abstract
Water security is a major concern for water-scarce cities that face dynamic water challenges due to limited water supply, climate change and increasing water demand. Framing urban water security is challenging due to the complexity and uncertainties of the definitions and assessment frameworks [...] Read more.
Water security is a major concern for water-scarce cities that face dynamic water challenges due to limited water supply, climate change and increasing water demand. Framing urban water security is challenging due to the complexity and uncertainties of the definitions and assessment frameworks concerning urban water security. Several studies have assessed water security by granting priority indicators equal weight without considering or adapting to the local conditions. This study develops a new urban water security assessment framework with application to the water-scarce city of Madaba, Jordan. The study applies the new assessment framework on the study area and measures urban water security using the integrated urban water security index (IUWSI) and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a decision management tool to prioritise and distinguish indicators that affect the four dimensions of urban water security: drinking water, ecosystems, climate change and water-related hazards, and socioeconomic aspects (DECS). The integrated urban water security index (IUWSI) highlights the state of water security and intervention strategies in Madaba. The study reveals that urban water security in Madaba is satisfactory to meet basic needs, with shortcomings in some aspects of the DECS. However, Madaba faces poor security in terms of managing climate- and water-related risks. The IUWSI framework assists with a rational and evidence-based decision-making process, which is important for enhancing water resources management in water-scarce cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future)
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12 pages, 3546 KiB  
Article
Development of a Heterogeneity Analysis Framework for Collaborative Sponge City Management
by Bing Li, Shou Long Dong, Yue Fei Huang and Guang Qian Wang
Water 2019, 11(10), 1995; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11101995 - 25 Sep 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3165
Abstract
Rapid urbanization, inappropriate urban planning and the changing climate in many countries have resulted in flooding, water shortage and water pollution around the world. Although the sponge city concept has been applied in both macro-scales and micro-scales to address those challenges, research on [...] Read more.
Rapid urbanization, inappropriate urban planning and the changing climate in many countries have resulted in flooding, water shortage and water pollution around the world. Although the sponge city concept has been applied in both macro-scales and micro-scales to address those challenges, research on the heterogeneity of different cities for sponge city construction and the collaborative management between cities is insufficient. Therefore, this paper proposes a multivariate cluster analysis framework and conducts an empirical study using 96 Chinese cities. By considering the local infrastructure, economic development, water resource distribution, water quality and precipitation characteristics in each city, and integrating the principal component analysis and a self-organizing feature mapping network, this paper shows the potential of regional and interregional sponge city collaborative management. This will provide an opportunity for developing a new sponge city management mechanism and will promote the establishment of multi-functional departments for urban flood control and water quality improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future)
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15 pages, 2229 KiB  
Article
Economic Evaluation of Adaptation Pathways for an Urban Drainage System Experiencing Deep Uncertainty
by Filip Babovic and Ana Mijic
Water 2019, 11(3), 531; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030531 - 14 Mar 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3552
Abstract
As Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty methodologies are becoming more widely utilised, there has been a growth in the use and generation of Adaptation Pathways. These are meant to convey to policy makers how short-term adaptations can act as elements of longer-term adaptation [...] Read more.
As Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty methodologies are becoming more widely utilised, there has been a growth in the use and generation of Adaptation Pathways. These are meant to convey to policy makers how short-term adaptations can act as elements of longer-term adaptation strategies. However, sets of Adaptation Pathways do not convey the individual pathway’s relative costs and benefits. To address this problem in relation to urban pluvial flooding, an economic analysis of a set of Adaptation Pathways was conducted. Initially, a methodology to conduct an economic assessment for deterministic climate change scenarios is developed. This methodology is then modified, using methods that underpin real options to assess how a pathway performs across a bundle of possible futures. This delivered information on how the performance of adaptations can vary across different climate change scenarios. By comparing the deterministic analysis to the new method, it was found that the order in which options are implemented greatly affects the financial performance of an Adaptation Pathway, even if the final combination of options is identical. The presented methodology has the potential to greatly improve decision making by informing policy makers on the potential performance of adaptation strategies being considered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future)
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Review

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33 pages, 2256 KiB  
Review
It Is Not Easy Being Green: Recognizing Unintended Consequences of Green Stormwater Infrastructure
by Vinicius J. Taguchi, Peter T. Weiss, John S. Gulliver, Mira R. Klein, Raymond M. Hozalski, Lawrence A. Baker, Jacques C. Finlay, Bonnie L. Keeler and John L. Nieber
Water 2020, 12(2), 522; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12020522 - 13 Feb 2020
Cited by 69 | Viewed by 17132
Abstract
Green infrastructure designed to address urban drainage and water quality issues is often deployed without full knowledge of potential unintended social, ecological, and human health consequences. Though understood in their respective fields of study, these diverse impacts are seldom discussed together in a [...] Read more.
Green infrastructure designed to address urban drainage and water quality issues is often deployed without full knowledge of potential unintended social, ecological, and human health consequences. Though understood in their respective fields of study, these diverse impacts are seldom discussed together in a format understood by a broader audience. This paper takes a first step in addressing that gap by exploring tradeoffs associated with green infrastructure practices that manage urban stormwater including urban trees, stormwater ponds, filtration, infiltration, rain gardens, and green roofs. Each green infrastructure practice type performs best under specific conditions and when targeting specific goals, but regular inspections, maintenance, and monitoring are necessary for any green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) practice to succeed. We review how each of the above practices is intended to function and how they could malfunction in order to improve how green stormwater infrastructure is designed, constructed, monitored, and maintained. Our proposed decision-making framework, using both biophysical (biological and physical) science and social science, could lead to GSI projects that are effective, cost efficient, and just. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Water Policy and Planning Strategies for an Uncertain Water Future)
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