A resilience assessment method for urban water systems

Journal Article (2018)
Author(s)

C. Makropoulos (National Technical University of Athens, KWR Water Research Institute)

D. Nikolopoulos (National Technical University of Athens)

L. Palmen (KWR Water Research Institute)

S. Kools (KWR Water Research Institute)

A. Segrave (KWR Water Research Institute)

D. Vries (KWR Water Research Institute)

S. Koop (KWR Water Research Institute)

H. J. van Alphen (KWR Water Research Institute, National Technical University of Athens)

E. Vonk (KWR Water Research Institute)

P. van Thienen (KWR Water Research Institute)

E. Rozos (National Technical University of Athens)

G. Medema (TU Delft - Sanitary Engineering, KWR Water Research Institute)

Research Group
Water Resources
DOI related publication
https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2018.1457166
More Info
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Publication Year
2018
Language
English
Research Group
Water Resources
Issue number
4
Volume number
15
Pages (from-to)
1-13
Downloads counter
295

Abstract

Infrastructure planning for Urban Water Systems (UWSs) is challenged by, inter alia, increasing uncertainty in both demand and availability of water and aging infrastructure, and this is already impacting the climate-proofing of cities. In this context, the idea of resilience has been gradually embraced by the water sector, but the term itself is not yet universally defined, nor operationalised. Here, we propose a methodology to assess the resilience of a UWS, defining it as the degree to which the UWS continues to perform under increasing stress. A resilience assessment method is then proposed as a ‘stress-test’ of UWS configurations, under increasingly more stressful scenarios. We then demonstrate a toolbox assembled for the proposed analysis using, as a proof of concept, a semi-synthetic case study. Results are promising, suggesting that the approach could assist in the uptake and evolution of resilience thinking in strategic water infrastructure decision making, leading to water-wiser cities.

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