Nanco Dolman MSc BLArch

Amsterdam, 4 November 2015

Towards water resilient cities

Building on international experiences

27 October 2015

Water for Enhanced Urban Liveability

Distill international experiences for Water Sensitive Cities

8 case studies on 3 continents

Different positions in Water Sensitive Cities framework

Based on project experience

Present effectiveness, implementation and way forward

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Bangkok

New Orleans

New York

Singapore

Rotterdam

London

HCMC

Jakarta

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City challenges

Today, 3.5 billion people - half of humanity – live in cities

In 2030, 60% of the global population will live in cities

In 2015, 80% of the megacities is located in river deltas

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Some key challenges to urban liveability

(CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, 2012)

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Water challenges

90% of disasters are water-related

Different threats Flooding from rivers and sea

Disruptions from precipitation

• Storm water overwhelms the drainage system

• Periods of droughts

Groundwater and subsidence

Heat

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Increased pressure

Sea level rise

Change precipitation patterns

Longer periods of heat and drought

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Projected Sea Level Rise (IPCC)

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Increased vulnerability

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Urbanization Bangkok (World Bank, 2011)

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The case studies

Restore imbalance of the urban water cycle

Solutions proposed following WSUD Integrating water with urban planning

In dialogue challenges can be addressed

Smaller scale measures to restore (some of) the balance

Disasters often initiate a response Understanding the drivers

Building back smarter

Facilitating stakeholders dialogue

Learn from experience

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Water Sensitive Cities Framework

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Need for direct effective solutions

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Bangkok/ HCMC/ Jakarta

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Thailand: Bangkok

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Thailand: Bangkok

Roughly 7 million people

Chao Phraya River, Gulf of Thailand

History

Historicaly ‘living with water’ Floating markets

Houses on stilts

Waterways filled

Bangkok: a sewered city

Challenges

Exponential population growth

Increase in challenges Deforestation

Subsidence

Flood events

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Bangkok: 2011 Floods

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Bangkok: initiative

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‘Bangkok Water Adaptive City 2045’

Dialogue with city stakeholders and

universities Series of workshops with stakeholders

Students from Thailand, Singapore,

Netherlands

Opportunity for Bangkok to leapfrog to an

advanced stage of the WSC framework

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Bangkok: proposed solutions

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Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City

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Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City

Roughly 13 million people

Saigon River, East (Vietnam) Sea

History

Limited effective drainage system

Expansion towards the sea

Ho Chi Minh City: a sewered city

Large international plans & support

Ho Chi Minh City Moving towards the

sea

Mekong Delta Plan

Struggling with implementation

Needs are more basic

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HCMC: Climate Change

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Indonesia: Jakarta

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Jakarta Flood Risk

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Jakarta - NCICD

Stage 1 Protection until 2020 Short term coastal protection

Stage 2 Protection until 2030 Integrated sea dyke construction with new land

reclamation

Stage 3 Protection until 2040 Construction of multi-purpose sea dyke at Jakarta Bay

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Sewered cities: lessons learnt

First steps to explore WSUD

Created awareness; attention for challenges and city planning

Facilitated dialogue among stakeholders

Governance unable to support changes

More direct solutions required; ambition for no-regret measures

Need for knowledge transfer and capacity building

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Introducing a water sensitive approach

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New Orleans/ New York City

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USA: New Orleans

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USA: New Orleans

Katrina (2005) illustrated the vulnerability of a delta city

Now a 100-year hurricane protection system

Drainage infrastructure is inadequate for challenges. Result of drainage water management strategy

Broken infrastructure and subsidence

New shared approach required

With the Urban Water Plan, New Orleans can address urban water challenges

and make better use of its water assets

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Greater New Orleans Water Management Strategy

WATER REGULARLY

OVERWHELMS SYSTEMS

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Greater New Orleans Water Management Strategy

WATER IMBALANCE

CAUSES SUBSIDENCE

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Greater New Orleans Water Management Strategy

WATER IS EXCLUDED

FROM MOST PUBLIC SPACES

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Urban water strategy

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Water assignment New Orleans

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Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan

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USA: New York City

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USA: New York City

Sandy 2012 $50 billion damages; 2nd-costliest hurricane

Government response; series of initiatives and strategies Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency (SIRR)

Green Infrastructure plan

Rebuild by Design

Technically sound strategies Strong focus on awareness; get stakeholder buy-in

Grassroot involvement; implementation at local level

Challenge: coherence fragmented approach

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A stronger, more resilient New York

Floods and extreme storm water surplus Bloomberg: “A floodwall doesn’t have to be just a wall, it can be part

of an elevated park or boardwalk, and still block flood waters”.

Enhance urban liveability - green infrastructure Planting more trees on streets and rooftops to absorb water or

divert it to higher-capacity sewers.

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Rebuild by Design

Design competition for the Sandy-affected region Ten teams with the world’s best engineers and architects

Ideas regional (and global) replicable

Funding available to get the top ideas implemented

An opportunity for a more overarching plan

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A comprehensive urban water strategy

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OMA | Royal HaskoningDHV winner Rebuild by

Design Competition

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Integrated planning, water as asset

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London

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United Kingdom: London

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Thames Estuary 2100

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Managing risks and increasing

resilience, the Mayor’s climate

change adaptation strategy,

October 2011

Water society & The Blue Ribbon

Network, The London Plan 2011;

“allowing a large number of

citizens to live, work and play

safely on the water is a strategic

aim of the London Plan”

Water ecology – green

infrastructure and open

environments: the all London

green grid, supplementary

planning guidance to the London

Plan 2012

Water olympics – Queen Elizabeth

olympic park 2030

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Urban green-blue grids

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The Blue Ribbon network

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London’s 2012 Olympic Park

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Queen Elizabeth Olympic park 2030

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Climate-proof planning

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Rotterdam

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The Netherlands: Rotterdam

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The Netherlands: Rotterdam

Rotterdam protected: 10,000 yrs level of protection

Urban Water Plan

Rotterdam Adapation Strategy 5 year planning

CBA and often checks on performance

Several projects realized (Green Roofs program, water plazas)

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Rotterdam Adaptation Strategy

Water system under control

Pilots are being evaluated Regular checks

Need for updated CBA

Strategy consolidated after

5 years Awareness

Creates jobs

Heat risk map - 2050

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Rotterdam Flood Control

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Rotterdam Multifunctional barrier

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Water plazas Rotterdam

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Water plazas Rotterdam

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Water plazas Rotterdam

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Closing the urban water cycles

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Singapore

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Singapore

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ABC Waters – Active Beautiful Clean

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Bringing nature back to urban setting

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Bring people closer to the water

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Kallang River as concrete canal

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Kallang River as meandering stream

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Evaluation and effectiveness

For every city a specific approach is required Different social background

Integration of many disciplines

Other climate effects

Not all measures are evaluated, weighted

For most water challenges… Governance is key

Political will and community ownership is vital

WSUD is a challenge

Requires an event to initiate

Requires persistence and funding

Challenges often underestimated or not understood

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Urbanization Policy Framework

Planning, Connecting, and Financing Cities—Now (World Bank, 2013)

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Key elements in transitioning towards

water resilient cities

A. Analyse – urban system and its environment Vulnerabilities

Opportunities

B. Aim – drawing up ambitions Goals and challenges

Planning adaptation strategy

C. Act – implementation in planning & sensing Choosing adaptation measures

Securing & realization in daily practice

NB; adaptation is always tailored!

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Aim

Analyse Act

Strategy to implementation

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Thank you for

your attention

Next week on UNISDR –

PreventionWeb

Q&A Water Resilient Cities;

http://www.preventionweb.net

/experts/ask/session/46333