ABSTRACT

This chapter describes the rise of water and cities in global debates about sustainable development, the principles of integrated and sustainable urban water management, and the concept of water sensitive cities. Integrated water resources management is intended to provide for sustainable management of limited, local water resources, allocating water to different agricultural users, industry and municipal supply, and managing land and water together to improve ecological sustainability and resilience. The movement for water sensitive cities and communities extends earlier efforts in water sensitive urban design, low-impact development and sustainable drainage systems that focused on sustainable approaches to stormwater management. Water has been included as an element in sustainable city designs and debates, though often with a lower profile and at a later stage in the process than energy, transport, pollution and waste. It has been an important topic for international deliberation and goals for sustainable development.