Urban Water Security Research Alliance

Transcription

1 Urban Water Security Research Alliance A Research Agenda for Water Smart Tropical and Sub-Tropical Cities and Towns Sharon Biermann Water Smart Cities Science Forum, June 2012

2 PROJECT BACKGROUND Identified as strategic research priority by Alliance stakeholders in 2010 Identify any research opportunities of significance to SEQ and Queensland Come up with a legacy research program Demonstrate some short term wins Must be high impact at the sciencepolicy interface

3 APPROACH Literature Review Stakeholder Engagement PHASE 1 (2010/11) Increasingly targeted Iterative Technical Report (Phase 1) Increasingly targeted PHASE 2 (2011/12) Knowledge areas Iterative Knowledge gaps Research Program (Phase 2) Changes and actions Focus of paper

4 WHAT HAVE WE DONE? PHASE 1 (2010/11) Talked to stakeholders SEQ workshop series National Coalition industry, research Reviewed international literature Reviewed national and local industry initiatives Draft Technical Report: Towards Assessment Criteria for Water Sensitive Cities

5 KNOWLEDGE GAPS IDENTIFIED (PHASE 1) Barriers to adoption Common, guiding Conceptual Framework Urban metabolism based? Paradigm of cities as integrated, complex, adaptive socio-ecological systems Comparable (space and time) performance indicators Land use water integration Integrate water systems design into planning considerations for the overall city Water- energy-carbon integration Integrate aspects within area of resource efficiency - energy and water, nutrients Integration of area within its wider regional context virtual water flows through import of food, energy and materials Tools/models Integrate resource use efficiency tools/aspects with other tools to answer questions related to factors such as cost, resilience and risk City/regional level rather than building and cluster scale

6 WHAT HAVE WE DONE? PHASE 2 (2011/12): Literature Review Literature Review Targeting specific policy product Queensland policy and planning instrument review Targeted literature review Emerging research options More detail: conceptual framework Queensland differences integrated water indicators Researcher workshop Knowledge areas Iterative Knowledge gaps Stakeholder Engagement Targeted government stakeholder workshop necessary changes and actions for more water smart cities Changes and actions Research Program

7 KNOWLEDGE AREAS Conceptual Framework KNOWLEDGE AREAS Tropical/Sub-T Qld Contextual Understanding Performance Indicators Water Thread Spatial Suitability Barriers to Adoption Centralised/ Decentralised System Integration Pragmatic Information/data comparable, available, updated POLICY PRODUCTS State of the Region Indicators Regional Plans Tropical/Sub-T City Design Guides Total Water Cycle Management Plans

8 KNOWLEDGE AREAS Knowledge areas Conceptual framework Queensland context Performance indicators Spatial suitability Barriers to adoption Centralised/ decentralised system integration Information base Explanation Describes the high level system components, interactions and flows to guide an empirical inquiry Physical and socio-economic conditions across Queensland which offer a different set of conditions with which to work when designing water smart solutions internal differentiation as well as differences from say more temperate climates Quantifiable metrics to describe the state of particular elements of the system in order to comparably monitor changes over time and between areas. Maps of the relative potential for water smart solutions compiled by combining a range of suitability - influencing factors, normally using GIS technology. Typically institutional, policy, regulatory or cost factors which inhibit the uptake of non-traditional innovative solutions Technical, regulatory, cost, acceptance and maintenance aspects of integrating decentralised systems as part of the centralised system, overcoming issues of redundancy Comparable and regularly updated data and information is required to inform all other knowledge areas. Need to know what is available, what proxy data can be used and where primary data gathering needs to occur

9 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Conceptual Framework KNOWLEDGE AREAS Tropical/Sub-T Qld Contextual Understanding Performance Indicators Water Thread Spatial Suitability Barriers to Adoption Centralised/ Decentralised System Integration Pragmatic Information/data comparable, available, updated POLICY PRODUCTS State of the Region Indicators Regional Plans Tropical/Sub-T City Design Guides Total Water Cycle Management Plans

10 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ADVANCES What should the objective be? Then, what is the appropriate model Metabolic efficiency, resilience, stability? Flows, feedback loops, cause and effects critical Beyond just material and energy flows Physical networked flows along built infrastructure Social and spatial factor incorporation From simple dualistic view of society and nature to more complex interweaving of social and biophysical processes The resource consumption economic growth link dematerialisation (decoupling) Identify the water thread (indicators developed along that thread) Pragmatic subsets, data availability and comparability, data creation (downscaling)

11 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS input PMSEIC - energy, water, carbon interconnectors between the natural environment and human society Newman s Extended Urban Metabolism model Climatecon European Environment Agency - Extended and pragmatic concept for urban metabolism Alberti et al. Integrated model of humans and ecological processes Resilience Alliance

12 QUEENSLAND CONTEXT Conceptual Framework KNOWLEDGE AREAS Tropical/Sub-T Qld Contextual Understanding Performance Indicators Water Thread Spatial Suitability Barriers to Adoption Centralised/ Decentralised System Integration Pragmatic Information/data comparable, available, updated POLICY PRODUCTS State of the Region Indicators Regional Plans Tropical/Sub-T City Design Guides Total Water Cycle Management Plans

13 QUEENSLAND CONTEXTUAL DIFFERENCES Informed by researcher workshop Implications for water smart Biophysical environment Moreton Bay Great Barrier Reef limited aquifer storage higher and more variable rainfall, temperatures, evaporation Socio-economic environment resource-based economy decentralised development pattern fewer, larger, financially strong local authorities greater proportion of freehold land

14 PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Conceptual Framework KNOWLEDGE AREAS Tropical/Sub-T Qld Contextual Understanding Performance Indicators Water Thread Spatial Suitability Barriers to Adoption Centralised/ Decentralised System Integration Pragmatic Information/data comparable, available, updated POLICY PRODUCTS State of the Region Indicators Regional Plans Tropical/Sub-T City Design Guides Total Water Cycle Management Plans

15 REGIONAL PLANS STATE OF REGION INDICATORS 2013 Sustainability Indicators Datasets 2008 Sustainability Indicators DRO 1 - SUSTAINABILITY Genuine progress indicator Quality of life Genuine progress indicator Population growth Population growth Quality of life Rural population (DRO5) Ecological footprint Ecological footprint Ecological footprint Greenhouse gas emissions Co2 emissions from car and electricity use per capita Greenhouse gas emissions (DRO2) Climate change trends (DRO2) Ecosystem service provision DRO 11 WATER MANAGEMENT Water for urban usage Water usage Water usage Groundwater availability Water conservation Consumption data to map against Target 200 Water quality EHMP grades Residential potable water use Groundwater levels and quality Ground water availability Percentage of groundwater units that have groundwater quality (nutrients and EC measurements) within identified acceptable annual ranges Waterways and catchments Percentage increase in vegetation cover in water supply catchments EHMP grades Rural water use Rural water use efficiency Rural water use efficiency

16 INTEGRATED INDICATORS State of Region Indicators Propose 2-3 new integrated indicators for DRO 11 Water Management and /or DRO 1 Sustainability mass balance - related (Kenway et al., 2011); City Blueprint 24 indicators to assess sustainability of the urban water cycle, water footprints-based, 2012 Integrated (relational/intensity) indicators, informed by conceptual framework Water-water Water-energy Water-economic growth Water-social

17 WHAT HAVE WE DONE? PHASE 2 (2011/12): Stakeholder Engagement Literature Review Targeting specific policy product Queensland policy and planning instrument review Targeted literature review Emerging research options More detail: conceptual framework Queensland differences integrated water indicators Researcher workshop Knowledge areas Iterative Knowledge gaps Stakeholder Engagement Targeted government stakeholder workshop necessary changes and actions for more water smart cities Changes and actions Research Program

18 GOVERNMENT STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP What needs to change to achieve more water smart cities and towns in tropical and sub-tropical Queensland? and where should we be focussing our attention? What can we do better to get change happening? Overcoming barriers? Actions for change? Which are the most important? How achievable (easy/hard) and effective are the actions for change?

19 HOW DO OUR CITIES AND TOWNS NEED TO CHANGE? 4 Process of planning and decision-making State and Local planning integration Inconsistencies between departments Community, city planners and designers to work together to design urban areas 8 Adaptive/flexible infrastructure planning and delivery (natural and built environment assets) Centralised vs decentralised Different contexts Full cost recovery 18 People Bringing the community along Guidelines and technology there Disconnect between vision and reality Making it happen is issue Awareness, education, advocacy # Priorities for action as rated by stakeholders 11 Governance ADAPTABLE political system, planning control, legislation Developers run the city 11 Integration of scales and sectors (planning) Linkages between energy-water-carbon Integrated transport, water, energy infrastructure Cities within regional context

20 HOW DO OUR CITIES AND TOWNS NEED TO CHANGE? 4 9 Process of planning and decision-making State and Local planning integration Inconsistencies between departments Community, city planners and designers to work together to design urban areas 8 4 Adaptive/flexible infrastructure planning and delivery (natural and built environment assets) Centralised vs decentralised Different contexts Full cost recovery Relationships between sectors and organisations/ different types of partnerships Non-infrastructure solutions/asset synergies/ doing more with less Water-energy awareness raising 18 People Bringing the community along Guidelines and technology there Disconnect between vision and reality Making it happen is issue Awareness, education, advocacy # # 9 Policy gaps filled Stormwater and Total Water Cycle management 8 Important, urgent action needed Important, good progress underway Governance ADAPTABLE political system, planning control, legislation Developers run the city Smart building design, water cycle integration 21 Integration of scales and sectors (planning) Linkages between energy-water-carbon Integrated transport, water, energy infrastructure Cities within regional context

21 ACTIONS FOR CHANGE EASY HARD 19 EFFECTIVE Most actions relate to People bringing the community along Easy-effective - high level community engagement, awareness-raising to effect behavioural change Effective-harder - evidence-based, targeted information to create a deeper level of awareness and understanding of issues to effect a change in behaviour enable community participation in infrastructure planning, visioning eg, making things costs and benefits clear and transparent so that informed decision-making can take place on the basis of shared understanding of implications

22 WHICH ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIONS? Effective/easier Provide information contextualised for particular households/personal impacts (1) Design engagement processes at a scale people can relate to (2) Women instigating family conversations. Use champions/elders to influence communities (4) Effective/moderately hard Clear link between costs and services (5) State Planning policy for WSUD (7) Effective/harder Clear State and local responsibilities and accountability (14) Identify and value costs and benefits of implementing new urban developments (17)

23 WHAT NEXT? Literature Review Stakeholder Engagement PHASE 1 (2010/11) Increasingly targeted Iterative Technical Report (Phase 1) Increasingly targeted Iterative PHASE 2 (2011/12) Knowledge areas Knowledge gaps Research Program (Phase 2) Changes and actions Final steps Focus of paper

24 Urban Water Security Research Alliance THANK YOU