Enhanced global urbanization coupled with the impacts of climate change on water infrastructure in cities will change how we design and operate these systems in the future.  The environmental engineering and science community has been integral to enhancing public health in Westernized countries through its work on technologies that treat and manage drinking water, stormwater and wastewater.  In the United States, this has lead to a mostly centralized infrastructure mindset.  As the resilience and sustainability of cities to perturbations, such as those likely to be introduced by climate change, are being assessed, the notion of relying upon a mostly centralized strategy is being questioned and decentralized approaches are being reconsidered.  Note that the most resilient solution may be in conflict with the most sustainable solution, and so we are talking about the best solutions that achieve both goals.  Solutions that bring resilience and sustainability to urban water management depend upon setting: for example, not all solutions designed for arid regions are appropriate for non-arid regions where excessive water flows are a challenge.  Also, strategies to achieve resilient urban water systems for low resource regions of the world are influenced by different needs and constraints.  As we implement green infrastructure and decentralization into city water management plans, it is important to consider how environmental (bio)chemistry will play an important role in designing, managing and understanding these systems.  For example, closing water cycles in arid regions may lead to the accumulation of persistent (bio)chemicals and their impact on human health, beyond ecological health.  In non-arid regions where rain events are more intense and precipitation levels will increase, the impact of stormwater overflows on public and environmental health are a growing concern. This talk will frame the issues and highlight both research and educational needs associated with global water management in urban settings.

Achieving resilience and sustainability in the global urban water sector: A role for environmental chemistry

248th National Meeting (2014)

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