Netherlands
Amsterdam
Since a cloudburst in the summer of 2014 and many more severe cloudbursts since then in other regions of the Netherlands, the urgency for a way to adapt this buzzing international city grew. Hence Waternet, the well-known innovative water utility of Amsterdam and its surroundings, created Amsterdam Rainproof. It is a promising program which has grown significantly since its inception, and now mainstreaming this program in all planned physical activities is a major challenge for the city.
4 Levels of Action - Amsterdam's Progress towards the Principles
Regenerative Water Services
• Artificial recharge and nature management resource area since 1957 (city owned, at the moment part of Waternet)
• Lowest water leakage in the world (< 4%) • Energy use savings part of Climate Neutral water cycle 2020 programme • Programme Climate Neutral watercycle 2020: dedicated team works on upscaling of reuse, recover and recycle of resources. • Amsterdam Rainproof network (public and private stakeholders) • Water cycle company integrated all regional water tasks • Waste to Energy Company and Spatial Planning and Sustainability department. • Two resource areas Amsterdam Dune Water Supply and Bethunepolder and even linkage to other neighbouring drinking water regions
Water Sensitive Urban Design
• Rainproof mainstreamed in all urban activities: streets, roofs, parks, buildings, gardens. Platform with knowledge, inspiration and professionals for fast upscaling.
• Rainproof materials and street profiles in Street Design Manual
• World famous city for liveability and visible water
• South Axis: watervertragende groenstrook, polder-roofs
• National regulations in building act
Basin Connected Cities
• Regional fresh water strategy as part of the National Delta programme
• River Rhine agreements under the European Water Framework Direction
• New national flood standards agreed under the National Delta Programme
• Strategy for resilient critical infrastructure for flooding of the Westpoort harbour in development
• Up-to-date crisis management organisation
Water-Wise Communities
• Public events and activities to enlarge to group of citizens involved: Rainproof Rave & Ride, FABcity, ROEF festival, etc.
• Close collaboration in resilience (Rainproof) and circular economy with urban planning, energy services, waste services and mobility.
• Water professionals are part of all major urban planning teams
• Amsterdam Sustainability Agenda, Green fund in which Rainproof is criterion
• Leaders support innovative approach of Amsterdam Rainproof
City Water Stories
Brisbane
In the past two decades, Brisbane has experienced the millennium drought (1995 – 2009) and two significant floods (2011 and 2013), and as a subtropical city it is also affected by frequent and severe storms.
Copenhengen
Copenhagen is a northern harbour city which has experienced a number of severe rainfall events, namely cloudbursts, with the largest pouring down in July 2011. The damages amounted to around 1 billion US dollars, and climate projections predict even larger events in the future. Protecting citizens and businesses from the impacts of climate change, while also continuing to secure high quality drinking water for a growing population are the concerns related to water.
Dakar
Dakar’s urban population is exploding with an annual growth rate of 2.5% and urbanisation rate of 97.2%. This massive urban expansion leads to overpopulation and construction in restricted areas, creating illegal slums without planned infrastructure including proper drainage and sewage systems.
Gothenburg
Built into a low-lying swamp area near the Göta River estuary, Gothenburg finds itself in a strategic yet vulnerable place. Flood risks and sea level rise are the two most important challenges the city is now facing.
Kampala
Kampala is Uganda’s largest city and is located at the periphery of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh water lake. Kampala is rapidly growing, with economic opportunities driving the rural-urban migration, and consequently increasing the rate of informal settlements.
Kunshan
Due to the city’s low-lying nature, Kunshan, a city in China’s Jiangsu Province, has faced frequent inundation throughout time.
Lyon
Lyon, the beautiful French city at the intersection of the Rhone and Saone rivers, is expecting some changes.
Perth
Perth is on the frontier of extremes, isolated from all other major cities in Australia on the largely wild west coast. Perth’s declining water availability from both surface and groundwater sources is well recognised.
Shenzhen
The city of Shenzhen was established in 1979, and in a swift 36 years, this tiny border town of just over 30,000 people has grown into a modern metropolis. However, rapid urbanization has brought with it many challenges, including serious water crises in the form of stormwater pollution and flood risks.
Singapore
This international port city is no stranger to shifting tides. With limited land to collect and store rainwater, Singapore has faced drought, floods and water pollution in their early years of nation building.
Sydney
The millennium drought affected all of Australia, and certainly it’s star city Sydney. This drought caused serious water security concerns for Sydney in the past, and further strain on the current water supplies is expected into the future.
Xi'an
Xi’an is located in the middle of the Yellow River basin, one of the largest river basins in the world. Even with all this water around, the city still faces severe water shortages for a growing population.
Subscribe to our newsletters
IWA and sector updates
to your inbox
Follow us