Australia
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.
4 Levels of Action - Brisbane’s Progress Towards the Principles
Regenerative Water Services
• Focus on water quality for ecosystem improvement and protection.
• Multiple rehabilitation works along our waterways and open water bodies to support long term water body improvements.
• Mapping of groundwater dependent ecosystems in 2014 to better understand where surface water replenishes aquifers.
• Water saving campaigns initiated over 10 years ago has resulted in sustained water savings (up to 130 litres/person/day).
• New approaches to fit-for-purpose water supplies delivered.
• In 2008, a storm water harvesting program commenced.
• 90,000 rainwater tanks provided to residents via a rebate process from 2005-2008.
• Integrated regional and local planning to ensure water supply and treatment infrastructure is sequenced with new developments.
• A restructured regional water governance model from water collection to water delivery.
• New networks for flood mitigation engaged post 2011 flood, including back flow devices, drainage upgrades, removal of at risk properties and better communication allowing customers to make informed property acquisition choices.
• Regional interconnected network of water storages, water treatment plants and distribution lines since 2008, has provided resilience to changes and shocks to any one part of the system.
Water Sensitive Urban Design
• New networks for flood mitigation engaged post 2011 flood, including back flow devices, drainage upgrades, removal of at risk properties and better communication allowing customers to make informed property acquisition choices.
• Regional interconnected network of water storages, water treatment plants and distribution lines since 2008, has provided resilience to changes and shocks to any one part of the system.
• Changes to planning provisions support flexibility in reducing flood impact on urban spaces, business, and residences.
• Specifically designed urban spaces created to support both community and flooding values that reflect the principle of ’designing with water in mind’.
• Water as a major focus with fountains emerging through the city.
• New projects providing access for the community to enjoy water including new planning and strategy development (Rivers Edge Strategy) and public infrastructure - Riverwalk.
Basin Connected Cities
• Brisbane is now part of the new South-East Queensland water grid which allows transfer of water across water catchments.
• Initiated a $15 million Stormwater Harvesting Program that now provides 400ML of water each year for sports field irrigation.
• Investment in Healthy Waterways and Catchment Program to reduce sediment load and litter to our waterways.
• Party to the Resilient Rivers Initiative to support catchment-wide waterway repair.
• Delivered Council’s Creek Filtration Systems to support cleaner waterways.
• Planning provisions that support hazard based planning and resident decision making.
• Major investment in rebuilding flood resistant infrastructure after 2011 floods eg, purpose built ferry terminals.
• Creation of Disaster Management Office to coordinate activity during, and post, extreme events.
Water-Wise Communities
• Twenty year involvement with catchment group participation and action to improve the health of waterways.
• Community engaged in catchment vision setting and master planning.
• Multidisciplinary virtual teams created as needed to deliver complex projects such as the Norman Creek Masterplan.
• Council has been a partner and a proud supporter of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Water Sensitive Cities since 2014.
• The development of a regional water distribution and retail utility with ability to deliver integrated network planning.
• WaterSmart Strategy and Total Water Cycle Management Plan providing commitment to integrated water policy and planning.
• Policy makers seek integrated policy outcomes across the water agenda.
• Motivate to seek integrated outcomes for the City based on strong policy platforms of water sustainability, flood management, healthy waterways and water communication.
• Invest in the development of water knowledge and seek new approaches to long standing water issues.
City Water Stories
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.
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.
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