Water in Future Cities

Water Resilience for Cities: A Green and Blue Future

Dr Mark Fletcher

What are the big risks facing the world?

WEF 2015 Global risks report Water rising up the agenda

The Global Risks Landscape 2015

Natural drainage systems

Coastal defences

Community systems for information exchange

Ground water table

Transport systems

Livelihood Telecomms

Food and Agriculture

Shelter

Rising sea levels

Coastal flooding

Storms / storm

surges/ cyclones

Drought

Vector borne

disease

River flooding

Water networks

Surface water

flooding

Climate Change Hazards Regional Water Stress

Groundwater flooding

Shock Change eg storm/flood and Incremental Change eg sea level rise

Recovery (as you were) and Adaptation (or transformation)

Population Growth eg London

11.3m

(3.1 million growth)

by 2050

(Source GLA Intelligence Nov 2013)

Urbanisation More than half the world is now urban

© istock.com

4

3

2

1

0

6 billion

1955 1975 1995 2015 2025 2045

Rural

Urban 5

1965 1985 2005 2035

Water resilience for cities

Towards a Water Sensitive City

Source CIRIA Report RP976 , Creating Water Sensitive Places – diagram adapted from Brown et al 2008 (For full reference refer to CIRIA Report RP976, p106)

Design with Water A conceptual framework for improving the resilience, wellbeing and biodiversity of our cities.

Innovative framework across the water cycle Issues developed from Clinton C40 Cities workshops Concept for water resilience using green and blue thinking

Design with Water

Blue thinking • Work with the water cycle • Use green and blue space – create, expand, adapt • Capture, store and release…. and continuity • Design places using water • Natural/semi-natural : puddles, pools, ponds,

lakes, streams and rivers • Man-made: Taps, toilets, reservoirs, canals,

swales, fountains, ditches and drains

Green thinking • Work with the water cycle • Use green and blue space – create, expand, adapt • Capture, store and release…. and treat • Design places using vegetation • Natural/semi-natural: bush, tree, copse, wood,

forest, meadow, wetland • Man-made: green roof, planter, flowerbed, park,

field, footpath, hedgerow

New York City Economic Development Corporation Green Infrastructure Design, USA : stormwater

New York City Economic Development Corporation Green Infrastructure Design, USA : stormwater

Beam Parklands, Dagenham, UK

Beam Parklands, Dagenham, UK

People Role of green and

blue thinking

Place Role of green and

blue thinking

Organisation Role of green and

blue thinking

Knowledge Role of green and

blue thinking

Water in Future Cities

Water Resilience for Cities: A Green and Blue Future

Dr Mark Fletcher