Water as a Resource

Abstract

Climate change and urbanization are putting great pressure on water infrastructure and flood management in Asian cities. The potential for understanding used domestic water as a viable resource in ‘urban water cycles’ has not yet been exploited. The question raised by the paper by citing projects from China and Germany relate to design innovations in infrastructure systems in modern cities. Instead of looking at these systems in isolation, they can offer sustainable water management in integrated urban development concepts and thus bring citizens closer to water and to nature. The acceptance of water re-use should help to reduce annual water consumption significantly and at the same time raise awareness of the sustainable use of water. The focus of this research paper is therefore not on the innovative use of advanced technology, even if this is the prerequisite for adaptive water reclamation, but on the sustainable design of the urban landscape, on Water Sensitive Urban Design and mitigation strategies pertaining to sustainable water resource management and ecology through blue and green infrastructure. The application of nature-based measures is seen as a location-specific solution and as a long-term strategy for achieving resilience.