Draft:Polycentric Approach to the Management of Urban Waters

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Polycentric Approach to the Management of Urban Waters is an approach to address the complex challenges associated with urban water management in densely populated areas. It also mirrors the multifaceted development dynamics of cities, encompassing aspects such as their natural environment, climate, economy, society, culture, finances, and legal framework... This approach emphasizes decentralized decision-making and governance structures⁣, engaging multiple stakeholders to collaboratively manage and govern urban water resources. While primarily formulated for medium and smaller-sized cities in South-East Asia, the approach can be applied in various urban development contexts.

Polycentric approaches to the management of urban waters enable cities to play an active role in shaping their transformation towards water-sensitive urban environments. They facilitate coproduction and multi-stakeholder engagement among local government agencies, planners, utilities, communities, households, the private sector, and civil society.

The development of PUW emerged from discussions held during a conference at the House of Parliament in Bremen, Germany. Participants included water and urban development experts, city representatives, national governments, water associations, city networks, civil society organizations, and academic scholars. These discussions focused on the localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and acknowledged the drawbacks of exclusively sectorial (siloed) approaches to urban water management.

Objectives and Strategies of the PUW approach

The primary aim of PUW is to assist cities in strategic planning and implementation of water-sensitive transformations, enhancing resilience and achieving development goals in response to various drivers and pressures. In addition to developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy for water-sensitive transformation, the PUW framework aligns with the established "Urban Water Transitions Framework". As a result, the PUW approach may assist cities in their efforts to elaborate on such strategies:

• a strategy on water supply and safety
• a strategy on urban sanitation
• a strategy on integrated flood management
• a strategy to enhance livability
• a strategy for climate change adaptation

PUW conceptual approaches include

The concept of PUW considers "water" as a cross-cutting issue for the sustainable development of urban areas and settlements. The concept of PUW regards water as crucial for urban sustainable development, recognizing its intersection with various aspects of well-being, modernity, and nation-building. This perspective emerged as water became integrated into broader societal welfare narratives. Successes are attributed to leadership at national, regional, and local levels, along with synchronized public policy and institutional coordination, facilitating effective approaches to water challenges and sustainable urban development.

Components

Key Components

Polycentric water management strategies enable cities to play a proactive role in guiding their progression towards becoming water-sensitive cities (WSUD). Key compononents in promoting the concept of WSUD and the polycentric approach to the management of urban waters include: the regulatory framework, assessment and costing, technology and design, and marketing strategies and acceptance initiatives .

In this sense, polycentric approach to the management of urban waters:

1. Considers various dynamics of cities, encompassing natural, climatic, economic, social, cultural, financial, and legal dimensions.
2. Supports comprehensive diagnostics of water and urban issues as a foundation for strategy development and action plan implementation.
3. Promotes collaborative management and governance among local governament and stakeholders regarding the development pathway and suitable solutions for their cities, reflecting various dimensions such as spatial and urban planning, technology and infrastructure development.
4. Account for interlinkages of urban water systems and integrated solutions for water infrastructure development.
5. Supports strategic planning and implementation flexible, resilient green, blue and hybrid (decentralized und centralized) infrastructure
6. Embraces the multifunctionality of space by considering ecosystem services, societal needs and infrastructural services.
7. Embraces the concept of co-creation and co-management of water-related develmpent infrastructure, neighborhoods and public spaces
8. Creates conditions for the allocation of public fund and private investment opportunities
9. Promotes community education about local stormwater assets and facilitates informed water management decisions while emphasizing flexibility and granularity to support cities in gradually developing capacities for water-sensitive transformation.

Guiding Principles for Implementing Polycentric Urban Water Management

To operationalize polycentric approaches to urban water management, city governments and relevant stakeholders should adhere to the following guiding principles .

1. Diagnosis and Strategy Development: Prioritize informed decision-making by conducting baseline studies that comprehensively assess existing and emerging water-related challenges stemming from urban development processes and issues.
2. Strategic Prioritization: Identify and prioritize strategic measures aimed at the transition of cities towards becoming water-sensitive urban spaces. Integrate these measures into short and long-term urban development plans, ensuring a sustainable and resilient approach to urban water management
3. Tailor-Made Strategies: Create and refine urban water management strategies encompassing business-as-usual and water-sensitive approaches. These strategies are developed through participatice processes, reflecting local necessities, priorities and feasibilities.
4. Planning and Implementation: Strategies are translated into specific activities with short, medium and long-term planning horizons.

Approaches

Alignment with Global Principles and Agendas

• UN principles on the right to development and progressice realization, focusing on sustainable urban infrastructure development.
• Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030 (SDGs) is imperative when considering the polycentric and water-sensitive approach in urban areas. For instance, SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) alligns with sustainable water management, while SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) focuses on resilient, and livable spaces.The polycentric approach intersects with SDG 4 (quality education) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure) and SDG 13 (climate action).

• The New Urban Agenda (NUA) emphasizes the role of water in urban development, advocating for integrated water management across local and territorial scales with multi-sector and community involvement . The New Urban Agenda (Article 95) calls for the “implementation of integrated, polycentric and balanced territorial development policies and plans, encouraging cooperation and mutual support among different scales of cities and human settlements, strengthening the role of small and intermediate cities and towns and[…] providing access to sustainable, affordable, adequate, resilient and safe housing, infrastructure and services". It also advocates for smaller cities to enhance food security, provide sustainable housing and services, and strengthen urban-rural connectivity.

Related Concepts

Other approaches of a holistic view of water or specifically rainwater management:

• Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM): The Global Water Partnership’s definition of IWRMA states, that IWRM is a process promoting the coordinated development of water, land, and related resources for equitable, social, and economic welfare without compromising ecosystems.

• Water-sensitive Urban Design and Development (WSUD): WSUD is an approach that integrates water management, urban design, urban and landscape planning, aiming for holistic sustainability in urban environments. It combines elements of the urban water cycle to promote ecological, economic, social, and cultural sustainability. The objective of Water Sensitive Urban Design is to integrate sustainable stormwater management with urban planning, aiming to mimic natural water cycles in urban environments.Initially focused on rainwater management, it also encompasses nowdays a broader water system management.

• Sponge Cities: Refers to urban areas characterized by ample natural features like trees, lakes, parks, and well-designed infrastructure, all aimed at absorbing rainwater and mitigating flooding risks, water management and climate change adaptation^[14]
• Best Management Practices (BMP) - USA
• Low Impact Development (LID) - U.S. and Canada
• Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDs)
• BlueGreenSolutions - within the EU-Projekt BlueGreenDream (BGD)

Origins and International Cooperation

The concept of polycentric urban water management was developed as a follow-up to Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development held in Quito, Ecuador, in 2016. Led by BORDA e.V. in collaboration with international water management partners, municipal entities, and academic institutions such as TU Berlin and Institute for Technology and Resources - TH Köln, it was first introduced to a global audience at the World Urban Forum 9 in Kuala Lumpur in 2018.

Challenges

There are several challenges in establishing governance frameworks for polycentric water-sensitive urban transformation at the national level that sould be addressed

1. Need for Adequate Governance Structures: Cities worldwide require effective governance for water sensitive transformation, including transparent leadership.
2. Cross-Sectoral Cooperation
3. Participatory Decision-Making: Involving communities, the private sector, civil society, and academia in the decision-making process
4. Capacity and Instruments: Cities globally need capacities and tools for active urban design and management, particularly when it comes to water-related infrastructure.
5. SDG-Oriented Urban Planning: Urban planning aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
6. Decentralization Efforts: Decentralization efforts aim to empowed local mandates, despite this some decisions remaining at higher levels
7. Policy Frameworks: Consistent policy frameworks alighned with SDGs
8. Integrated Planning: Traditional centralized and sectoral planning approaches often confort issues to address the complex relationship between water management and urban development.
9. Localized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Local governments should align their development agendas with global sustainability goals

Examples

• The government of Hamburg and the water operator Hamburg Wasser have initiated a comprehensive initiative  named RegenInfraStrukturAnpassung - Rain infrastructure adaptation (RISA) that aims for a comprehensive rainwater management for the city..The city has implemented a pilot project on decentralized rain water management at the Hein-Klink stadium - an approach that is planned to be implemented into other Hamburg sports facilities. An underground storage and infiltration system has been installed at the Möllner Landstraße sports ground under the Stadium. The reason for this was the accumulation of water during heavy rainfall in Möllner Landstraße between the entrances to the "Merkenstraße" underground station, which jeopardised the safety of underground operations. Now, during heavy rainfall, the water is channelled from the road to the sports ground, where it is absorbed by storage elements: With this infrastructure pilot measure, up to 500.000 litres of water can be temporarily stored
• An effort toward such a polyecentric approach to sensitive management of urban waters are the following two case studies "The Sen Pond " and "Lap River" in Hue City, South East Asia. The overarching goal of these projects are to integrate Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles in the urban development of Vietnamese cities, especially in the context of Southeast Asia. Water sensitive urban development and design is particularly relevant in Southeast Asia and regions like Vietnam, which are susceptible to climate change-induced disasters and environmental degradation

The projects were initiated through site visits, technical discussions, and brainstorming sessions conducted from July to December 2018. It is supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund, in collaboration with Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl. The integration of WSUD in Vietnamese cities is part of the ADB-supported Secondary Green Cities Development Project and the proposed Ho Chi Minh City Climate Resilient Urban Services Project. These projects aim to make cities more prosperous, resilient, and livable. Furthermore, Vinh Yen, Hue, and Ha Giang, three secondary cities, are participating in the Global Platform for Sustainable Cities to promote integrated solutions for sustainable urban development.

• The Cheonggyecheon Restoration Project in Seoul is a prime example of a remarkable urban transformation that embraces water-sensitive urban design and a more people-centered approach. It shifts away from car-focused development to emphasize the well-being of the community and the environment. By demolishing an elevated freeway and revealing a historic stream, it has fashioned a 3.6-mile corridor that combines ecological and recreational features. This not only enhances how the city manages its water resources but also kick-starts economic growth in previously neglected parts of the city, showcasing the potential of these urban design principles.

See also

Integrated water resources management

Water-sensitive urban design

Urban transformation

Water security

Blue - Green infrastructure

water-wise-cities