Suchergebnisse

Urban regions – comprising urban core areas and the peri-urban hinterlands – in many parts of the world are increasingly facing serious water-related environmental and societal problems, which are posing enormous challenges to the wellbeing of societies and individuals. The current scientific approaches to these challenges often struggle to capture the complexity of urban regions, and thus cannot always provide appropriate answers and solutions. The Brazilian Academy of Sciences (ABC), the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and Germany's Junge Akademie organised the symposium "Water Issues and Ecological Sustainability in Areas of Urbanisation" from 5 to 8 May 2014 in São Carlos, Brazil, in order to hold a science-based discussion on water-related challenges in urban regions. The symposium provided a setting for interdisciplinary exchange for 26 young scientists, mainly from Brazil and Germany. It took place within the framework of the "Germany + Brazil 2013/2014" campaign initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office. Inspired by the motto of the bilateral year, "How do we want to live tomorrow?", the young scientists – from the fields of engineering, natural, life and social sciences – discussed and linked up water-related issues in urban regions with regard to land use, human health, ecosystem services, monitoring, data, and policy implementation. The current report presents research needs, which – according to the participants of the symposium – are important in the research-driven management of water-related environmental and societal problems in urban regions. Extensive scientific research in the identified areas could facilitate the articulation of answers and the formulation of proposals for more viable, sustainable and humane cities in the future.

More than half of the human population currently lives in urban areas and according to the United Nations, cities will be the living space of an additional 2.5 billion people by the year 2050 (UN, 2015b). The proportion and speed of this urban growth increase the pressure on water resources, and this is often seen negatively. However, this challenge can also be a chance to substantially improve the quality of life in urban areas, if we consider how we want to live tomorrow and actively shape our future. As a group of interdisciplinary young scientists authoring the current science policy report, we agreed that we want to live in cities where sustainable, integrated watershed management guarantees public health and environmental safety. This requires sanitation and rainwater management, solutions for dealing with contaminants, such as micropollutants, as well as information flows and public involvement in water management. Integrated watershed management as part of urban planning takes into account interdisciplinary relationships and connects different sectors, for example city administration, health providers and water managers. It also ensures access to sustainable, adaptable, effective and resilient rain and wastewater management, which includes the specific needs of vulnerable groups. Such a rain and wastewater management considers water reuse as a possibility to increase the available water supply. A growing number and increasing concentration of micropollutants in the aquatic environment are a health risk. It is important to understand their fate and effects and to develop appropriate management strategies. In such decision-making processes, all aspects of water management should be included and local stakeholders involved. Moreover, comprehensive and optimized information flows improve the understanding of water-related problems and must be used to help communities to set priorities, take action and assume responsibilities. Education, capacity building and community engagement are particularly important for creating ownership, identification with water resources and environmental consciousness. Further research is needed in these areas to better understand challenges and chances of water management in growing urban areas and to develop scientifically based solutions. This scientific knowledge will build the basis for policy-making and implementation of actions in urban water management. In this way, we believe a better and more desirable urban environment can be achieved for future generations.