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A green urban water management
Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities, according to the United Nations data, and in Asia we are expecting unprecedented growth — by 2030, megacities of 10 million inhabitants or more will be located primarily in Asia
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span>Today, more than half the world’s population live in cities, according to the United Nations data, and in Asia we are expecting unprecedented growth — by 2030, megacities of 10 million inhabitants or more will be located primarily in Asia.
While urbanization is synonymous with economic growth, it can often do more harm than good if we do not have the proper infrastructure to sustain the rapid development. As epicentres of human activities, cities see intense production and consumption, using huge quantities of our limited natural resources while contributing to climate change.
One of the most critical resources under increased stress in urban cities is water. The issue is even more acute in Asia-Pacific, with the region being home to almost two-thirds of the world’s population but only having access to one-third of its usable water resources, according to World Water Council data.
For a country like Indonesia, urbanization has increased tremendously following the country’s rapid development in the 1970s. While water is not scarce in the archipelagic country with hundreds of rivers, streams and lakes, inadequate water management and infrastructure to filter and distribute clean water, along with natural landscapes taking a toll due to rapid economic development, has meant that some parts of the country continue to face water scarcity.
The impact of the rapid urban growth over our limited water resources is multi-fold: Demand for water is on the rise, while more sewage is being produced and treated, more stormwater needs to be managed and more water pollution needs to be contained.
While each city faces its own unique set of challenges when it comes to tackling sustainability, the bottom line for all is that, in order to ensure we have enough water for the next generation, we need to take a step back and rethink how cities as a whole can better manage this precious resource, be it by reassessing the urban infrastructure or by tapping into new technology.
From water and wastewater treatment plants to pipelines and reservoirs, the urban landscape is rife with grey infrastructure. However, as climate change heralds an increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and flooding, these robust, human-engineered systems are crumbling under the increased pressure to manage stormwater.
Cities in Indonesia are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the threat of flooding. Its sprawling capital city, Jakarta, will see more than a quarter of its land submerged in less than a decade, according to a study by the Bandung Institute of Technology. Seasonal torrential rain has caused floods and landslides in satellite cities.
A proven way to better manage stormwater is by combining green infrastructure with grey infrastructure. Green infrastructure is a cost-effective and resilient approach to manage wet weather impacts, through the strategic use of networks of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spaces.
Increasingly, cities are recognizing the effectiveness of the “green-grey” approach. A recent, successful example is China’s sponge cities. Facing long-term risks from rising sea levels, the Lingang district in Shanghai replaced concrete pavements with wetlands, green rooftops and rain gardens so that stormwater could be absorbed back into the land, providing an ecologically friendly alternative to traditional flood defenses and drainage systems and enabling water conservation that could be harnessed for reuse by households and industries.
While climate change has certainly exacerbated the water crisis, one of the major challenges faced by cities today is the inefficient consumption of water.
For cities, buildings account for a significant amount of water and energy consumption, and more residential and commercial buildings have come up in Indonesia. According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), its urban population has increased by 53.5 percent over the past five years — more than half of the country’s total population — which has a direct impact on demand for infrastructure and living facilities in the urban space.
In order to shelter the rising population and boost the economic growth, it is important to ensure we are using water efficiently.
Green buildings have become the new mantra for sustainable development of cities, including Indonesia. There are ongoing efforts to boost the development of these eco-friendly buildings that focus on efficient use of resources such as water and energy. Initiatives such as Green Building Council Indonesia (GBCI)’s GREENSHIP, a voluntary green ratings tool to evaluate the environmental design and construction of buildings, helps set a benchmark for sustainability efforts by businesses and developers.
However, for buildings to really make a difference in their consumption, we need to look beyond just planting trees or incorporating energy efficient office design. We need to also review the entire hardware of buildings to create greater efficiency in all aspects.
For example, pumps control the water and cooling system of a building, operating and using energy year-round. There is also a major opportunity to reduce water losses along the supply chain. However, with pumps out of sight, few realize the environmental and economic potential of replacing inefficient pumps. By using efficient pumps, buildings can go a long way in meeting sustainability as well as energy and water efficiency standards.
An efficient water system goes beyond individual components working in silos, but instead is about how an entire system can work together cohesively to ensure the optimization of resources. The key to effectively address a city’s water challenges is interconnectivity between the different parts to enable constant feedback and communication and ensure resources are used efficiently.
Digitalization holds vast potential for water and wastewater management by providing capabilities that enable this connectivity. Intelligent technology enables our systems to predict changes in demand, and in turn proactively adjust water pressures to prevent excessive stress on pipes.
Notably, a seemingly simple but serious issue prevailing in many cities has been addressed with the help of digitalization — water leakage. Intelligent water management solutions have been implemented in several cities to automatically adjust water flow through the use of remote sensors, reducing excessive pressure in the water pipes. This limits water leakages and losses, minimizing cost and energy use.
Digitalization can extend to entire networks across the city, connecting systems, buildings and public infrastructure. Through the Internet of Things, advanced real-time data collection and sensors, water networks can access information that allows them to operate in a more predictive manner, reducing downtime and avoiding serious business and environmental consequences.
Digitalization can also be leveraged to develop cities’ reactions to extreme climate change events. Water solution providers can generate real-life simulations of a problem and its proposed approach before construction, to test various approaches and optimize them.
With World Water Day this year reminding us to work toward the collective goal of “Leaving no one behind”, we need to accelerate our efforts to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of water for future generations.
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The writer is group senior vice president and regional managing director of Grundfos Asia Pacific Region.
