Trends in Demand of Urban Surface Water Extractions and in Situ Use Functions
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Trends in Demand of Urban Surface Water Extractions and in Situ Use Functions E. S. van der Meulen 1,2 & N. B. Sutton 2 & F. H. M. van de Ven 1,3 & P. R. van Oel 4 & H. H. M. Rijnaarts 2 Received: 8 June 2020 / Accepted: 26 October 2020/ # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract
Scientific literature currently lacks comprehensive understanding of urban surface water use functions. This hampers sound analysis of the demand and potential supply of these functions. This study provides a comprehensive overview of potential use functions, by integrating knowledge from ecosystem services and integrated urban water management fields. Analysis of water-related management plans for Toronto and Amsterdam shows that surface water is currently being used for a variety of functions related to nutrition, energy, water regulation, recreation, symbolic use, transportation and floating buildings. Notably, many use functions involve in situ use, rather than water extractions. Interviewed water managers and spatial planners in both cities expect demand of most use functions to increase by 2040, especially demand for thermal energy extraction, recreation and transportation. Some identified novel demands, such as climate regulation and reuse of waste products from waterway maintenance. Increasing demand is mainly driven by urban growth, climate change and sustainability ambitions. This study found urban surface water uses that are usually not acknowledged in scientific literature on urban water management. This comprehensive overview supports planning, design, and maintenance of urban surface waters, laying the foundation for future research on supply and demand of urban water use functions. Keywords Urban water resources management . Ecosystem services . Water use . Water demand . Amsterdam . Toronto
1 Introduction Surface water is an important resource and part of the public space in urban areas. Water use will increase due to population growth in European and North-American cities. Urban surface Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi. org/10.1007/s11269-020-02700-7.
* E. S. van der Meulen [email protected] Extended author information available on the last page of the article
E. S. Meulen et al.
water use may change with, for example, transformation of former industrial sites and harbour areas into residential areas and cultural hotspots (Bostonplans.org; portofrotterdam.com; Feilberg and Mark 2016). Recently, urban water quality has improved across Europe (EEA 2016) and North America (McPhearson et al. 2014), opening new opportunities to use these waters. Strategic planning, design and maintenance of urban surface water systems can be optimized by taking into account all relevant use functions. Here use functions refers to all human use of water bodies, and can be distinguished in extractions (e.g. water for drinking or fish for nutrition) and in situ uses (e.g. swimming or transportation). Scientific literature supports function-oriented water management, describin
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