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Sustainability
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Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Water Management in Urban Areas
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Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Water Management in Urban Areas

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 20241

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gyan Chhipi Shrestha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Applied Science, School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 1137 Alumni Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7 Canada
Interests: sustainable water supply; human health and ecological risk assessment; climate change impacts; source water protection; water–energy nexus; environmental modelling; decision analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nicolas Beauchamp

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Civil and Water Engineering, Laval University, Quebec QC G1V 0A6, Canada
Interests: drinking water treatment; drinking water and public health; quantitative risk analysis; climate change impact on water supplies
Dr. Ianis Delpla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Graduate School of Land Use Planning and Regional Development (ESAD), Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
2. Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2, Canada
Interests: drinking water quality and human health; climate change impacts on drinking water supply; environmental justice; human health risk assessment; drinking water management; decision support systems; water quality modeling
Dr. Bingyi Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Information Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
Interests: data fusion; Dempster–Shafer evidence theory; multicriteria decision making; intelligence information processing; decision support systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water supply and management in urban areas have a long history of over two millennia in the planet. Urban water management has been especially challenged at the present time due to rapid urbanization, population growth, changing lifestyles, climate change, overuse of resources, and pollution. In developed countries, urban water systems are very resource-intensive, e.g., high energy intensity and chemical uses, whereas developing countries do not have a sufficient degree of water and wastewater treatment in cities increasing pollution. Both urban water systems are less sustainable. On the other hand, almost all countries are increasingly facing disasters in urban water systems, such as climate-induced floods, drought, and forest fires. This means present urban water and its infrastructure systems are not resilient. Moreover, modern digital technologies, e.g., the Internet of things (IoT), have made the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of water infrastructures more efficient, cost-effective, and automated in real-time being smart. Therefore, this is the right time to address and solve the complex problems of urban water systems employing IoT, sustainability principles, and resiliency measures.

The purpose of this Special Issue to disseminate real-life applications, innovative research outcomes, and new knowledge of urban water management, which have been used to make urban water systems smart, sustainable, and resilient. The scope of this Special Issue includes but is not limited to:   

  • Source water monitoring and protection;
  • Development of resilient water infrastructures;
  • Drinking water treatment and their sustainability;
  • Disinfection by-products, their removal, and health risks;
  • Emerging contaminants in drinking and wastewater and their risks to human and ecosystems;
  • Wastewater treatment, energy recovery, and water reuse;
  • Water–energy nexus;
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation, stormwater harvesting, and urban hydrology;
  • Water-sensitive design of cities;
  • Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCA, LCC, and Social LCA) of urban water;
  • One water approach;
  • Smart water management and digital water.

Dr. Gyan Chhipi Shrestha
Dr. Nicolas Beauchamp
Dr. Ianis Delpla
Dr. Bingyi Kang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Source water protection
  • Drinking water treatment
  • Disinfection by-products
  • Emerging contaminants
  • Wastewater treatment and reuse
  • Water–energy nexus
  • Stormwater harvesting and management
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation
  • Water-sensitive design Low impact development (LID)
  • Resilient infrastructure
  • Water infrastructure management
  • Urban resilience
  • Life cycle analysis (LCA)
  • Life cycle cost (LCC)
  • Urban hydrology
  • One water approach
  • Digital water

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1396 KiB  
Article
Efficiency of Different Moringa oleifera (Lam.) Varieties as Natural Coagulants for Urban Wastewater Treatment
by Nidhal Marzougui, Ferdaous Guasmi, Sondes Dhouioui, Mohamed Bouhlel, Mohamed Hachicha, Ronny Berndtsson and Noomene Sleimi
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13500; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313500 - 06 Dec 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2825
Abstract
There is a great need to find cheaper but still efficient treatment methods for wastewater. This study aimed to test the purifying performance of three different Moringa oleifera varieties that were cultivated in Tunisia on raw (RUW) and secondary treated urban wastewater (TUW). [...] Read more.
There is a great need to find cheaper but still efficient treatment methods for wastewater. This study aimed to test the purifying performance of three different Moringa oleifera varieties that were cultivated in Tunisia on raw (RUW) and secondary treated urban wastewater (TUW). The seeds of the Mornag, Egyptian, and Indian varieties were powdered, added to the water (at concentrations of 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg·L−1), and stirred for 45 min at 120 rpm, and then left to settle for two hours. A physicochemical characterization of the wastewater was carried out before and after treatment. The investigated treatments decontaminated both types of urban wastewater. The best treatments were obtained with the Egyptian variety (at 150 mg·L−1), which excelled at the reduction of EC, TSS, BOD5, Cl, SO4, Ca, Na, Cd, and Fe in RUW and BOD5, EC, Na, Mg, Cl, and Cd in TUW. High amounts of TKN was found in both types of Moringa-treated wastewater, meaning that it could be used in agricultural irrigation, leading to less use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers and thus improving sustainability for crops, soils, animals, and humans. The Egyptian Moringa variety constitutes a cost-effective and environmentally friendly adsorbent that can be used as a replacement for more expensive treatment technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Water Management in Urban Areas)
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20 pages, 17346 KiB  
Article
GIS-Based Urban Flood Risk Assessment and Management—A Case Study of Delhi National Capital Territory (NCT), India
by Pallavi Tomar, Suraj Kumar Singh, Shruti Kanga, Gowhar Meraj, Nikola Kranjčić, Bojan Đurin and Amitanshu Pattanaik
Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12850; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212850 - 20 Nov 2021
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 10160
Abstract
Urban floods are very destructive and have significant socioeconomic repercussions in regions with a common flooding prevalence. Various researchers have laid down numerous approaches for analyzing the evolution of floods and their consequences. One primary goal of such approaches is to identify the [...] Read more.
Urban floods are very destructive and have significant socioeconomic repercussions in regions with a common flooding prevalence. Various researchers have laid down numerous approaches for analyzing the evolution of floods and their consequences. One primary goal of such approaches is to identify the areas vulnerable to floods for risk reduction and management purposes. The present paper proposes an integrated remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS), and field survey-based approach for identifying and predicting urban flood-prone areas. The work is unique in theory since the methodology proposed finds application in urban areas wherein the cause of flooding, in addition to heavy rainfall, is also the inefficient urban drainage system. The work has been carried out in Delhi’s Yamuna River National Capital Territory (NCT) area, considered one of India’s most frequently flooded urban centers, to analyze the causes of its flooding and supplement the existing forecasting models. Research is based on an integrated strategy to evaluate and map the highest flood boundary and identify the area affected along the Yamuna River NCT of Delhi. In addition to understanding the causal factors behind frequent flooding in the area, using field-based information, we developed a GIS model to help authorities to manage the floods using catchment precipitation and gauge level relationship. The identification of areas susceptible to floods shall act as an early warning tool to safeguard life and property and help authorities plan in advance for the eventuality of such an event in the study area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Water Management in Urban Areas)
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Review

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15 pages, 1770 KiB  
Review
Resilience in Water Infrastructures: A Review of Challenges and Adoption Strategies
by Apurva Pamidimukkala, Sharareh Kermanshachi, Nikhitha Adepu and Elnaz Safapour
Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 12986; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132312986 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 4075
Abstract
An increase in the number and strength of natural catastrophes experienced over the past few decades has accelerated the damage sustained by infrastructures. Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure systems are critical aspects of a healthy environment, and their ability to withstand disasters is [...] Read more.
An increase in the number and strength of natural catastrophes experienced over the past few decades has accelerated the damage sustained by infrastructures. Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure systems are critical aspects of a healthy environment, and their ability to withstand disasters is vital for effective disaster response and recovery. Although numerous studies have been conducted to determine the challenges that natural disasters render to water infrastructures, few extensive examinations of these challenges have been conducted. The goal of this study, therefore, was to identify and categorize the challenges related to the resilience of drinking water and wastewater infrastructures, and to determine the strategies that most effectively minimize their unintended consequences. A comprehensive evaluation of the existing literature was conducted, and 537 publications were collected. After extensive screening, 222 publications were selected for rigorous evaluation and analysis based on the data collection methods and other criteria. A total of fifty-one (51) challenges were determined and classified, within the following five categories: environmental, technical and infrastructure, social, organizational, and financial and economic. The challenges were then ranked within each category according to their frequency of occurrence in previous research. The results reveal that climate change, aging infrastructure, lack of infrastructure capital, population growth, improper maintenance of water infrastructure, and rapid urbanization are the most frequently cited challenges. Next, 30 strategies and approaches were identified and categorized into either preventive or corrective actions, according to their implementation time. The findings of this study will help decision- and policymakers properly allocate their limited funding to enhance the robustness of their water infrastructures before, during, and after natural hazards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Water Management in Urban Areas)
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Other

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12 pages, 224 KiB  
Commentary
Bridging Science and Practice-Importance of Stakeholders in the Development of Decision Support: Lessons Learned
by Innocent K. Tumwebaze, Joan B. Rose, Nynke Hofstra, Matthew E. Verbyla, Daniel A. Okaali, Panagis Katsivelis and Heather M. Murphy
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5744; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105744 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2019
Abstract
User-friendly, evidence-based scientific tools to support sanitation decisions are still limited in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. This commentary provides lessons learned from the development of two sanitation decision support tools developed in collaboration with stakeholders in Uganda. We engaged with [...] Read more.
User-friendly, evidence-based scientific tools to support sanitation decisions are still limited in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. This commentary provides lessons learned from the development of two sanitation decision support tools developed in collaboration with stakeholders in Uganda. We engaged with stakeholders in a variety of ways to effectively obtain their input in the development of the decision support tools. Key lessons learned included: tailoring tools to stakeholder decision-making needs; simplifying the tools as much as possible for ease of application and use; creating an enabling environment that allows active stakeholder participation; having a dedicated and responsive team to plan and execute stakeholder engagement activities; involving stakeholders early in the process; having funding sources that are flexible and long-term; and including resources for the acquisition of local data. This reflection provides benchmarks for future research and the development of tools that utilize scientific data and emphasizes the importance of engaging with stakeholders in the development process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Water Management in Urban Areas)
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