The Future of Urban Clean Water and Sanitation
Author(s)
Jamwal, Priyanka
Brown, Rebekah
Kookana, Rai
Drechsel, Pay
McDonald, Robert
Vorosmarty, Charles J
van Vliet, Michelle TH
Bhaduri, Anik
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2019
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Providing clean water and sanitation to all is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century—especially in developing countries, where 50% of the population is projected to live in cities by 2050. One way to address issues of water security is by shifting from linear to circular water-economy approaches. Understanding, assessing, and managing both water quality and the related risks to human health as water moves within the system are crucial to the successful implementation of circular approaches.
This raises four priorities for research: understand the risks of emerging and existing contaminants in the reuse of treated ...
View more >Providing clean water and sanitation to all is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century—especially in developing countries, where 50% of the population is projected to live in cities by 2050. One way to address issues of water security is by shifting from linear to circular water-economy approaches. Understanding, assessing, and managing both water quality and the related risks to human health as water moves within the system are crucial to the successful implementation of circular approaches. This raises four priorities for research: understand the risks of emerging and existing contaminants in the reuse of treated effluent; develop low-cost water-quality sensors to monitor contaminants in treated effluent and surface water; deploy decentralized treatment solutions, such as provisional green infrastructure, to address water pollution; and engage communities to manage and sustain local solutions to water problems. Finding solutions to water-related problems requires a multi-disciplinary approach that engages both natural and social scientists and stakeholders from various fields. In addition to government agencies, citizen groups and local private organizations have a vital role to play in the management of local water sources. To ensure that solutions are suited to their context, there should be an emphasis on empowering citizens by promoting citizen science, enhancing the role of local private research organizations in decision making, and encouraging informed decision making by providing access to data and research via online platforms.
View less >
View more >Providing clean water and sanitation to all is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century—especially in developing countries, where 50% of the population is projected to live in cities by 2050. One way to address issues of water security is by shifting from linear to circular water-economy approaches. Understanding, assessing, and managing both water quality and the related risks to human health as water moves within the system are crucial to the successful implementation of circular approaches. This raises four priorities for research: understand the risks of emerging and existing contaminants in the reuse of treated effluent; develop low-cost water-quality sensors to monitor contaminants in treated effluent and surface water; deploy decentralized treatment solutions, such as provisional green infrastructure, to address water pollution; and engage communities to manage and sustain local solutions to water problems. Finding solutions to water-related problems requires a multi-disciplinary approach that engages both natural and social scientists and stakeholders from various fields. In addition to government agencies, citizen groups and local private organizations have a vital role to play in the management of local water sources. To ensure that solutions are suited to their context, there should be an emphasis on empowering citizens by promoting citizen science, enhancing the role of local private research organizations in decision making, and encouraging informed decision making by providing access to data and research via online platforms.
View less >
Journal Title
One Earth
Volume
1
Issue
1
Subject
Environmental management
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Environmental Studies