How Flooding in a Changing Climate and Urbanisation Presents Opportunities

A paper authored by Richard Ashley, Berry Gersonius, and Bruce Horton presents new and sustainable approaches to a truly sustainable water service.

It tackles the issue of traditional approaches to urban water management. Although they have maintained public health and safety in the UK and other developed countries for more than two centuries, they will not be sustainable in the face of rapid climate change, environmental degradation, urbanization, human demands, and deteriorating assets.

New approaches to water management treat all forms of water as potential opportunities, adding to the quality of urban areas and preferring nature-based approaches that can add more value and functions.

The changing perspective on how water should be managed will usher in changes to professional practices in all sectors and require support for engineers and others towards a more integrated approach.

The paper summarizes the traditional approach to water and flood management, which treats water as a “problem” and is thus engineer-led, followed by a new approach that sees water as a potential opportunity.

While focusing on urban flood risk management, the paper contrasts the traditional approach with the new one.

The paper presents three case studies, two of which show the rationale for assessing the financial value of nature-based options for flood and water quality management and how they bring multiple benefits.

The two cases address flood risk and other water quality improvements while demonstrating how benefits can extend beyond water-related categories to improve property values.

One of the biggest barriers to maximizing future decisions about water management is how the water domain is governed and how institutions are placed and regulated.

Major shifts are required, from the traditional thinking of “we know it works” to one that views water as an opportunity and is willing to collaborate with other professions and engage with communities.

There are signs that a shift is taking place, such as in Philadelphia, USA, or Greener Grangetown in Cardiff, Wales.

Barriers need to be identified or removed if necessary, and inspiration should be drawn from what has been achieved, as shown in the case studies and even the revolution achieved in water management in Australia in twenty-plus years.