Water and Cities in the Face of Future Challenges. An Examination of Adaption Measures for Urban Areas (PDF)

Essay from the year 2023 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Demographics, Urban Management, Planning, grade: 1,3, University of Osnabrück (Institut für Geographie), course: Seminar: Water Risk and source of life- an inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, language: English, abstract: As cities around the globe continue to grow and urbanize, the need for effective adaptation measures to address challenges becomes increasingly urgent. This essay attempts to identify the known vulnerabilities of urban environments and then aims to examine the various opportunities for adaptation in order to ensure water security in the face of global challenges of the 21st century and especially water related extreme weather events. Through a literature review, this paper aims to explore a concise outlook on strategies cities can employ in order to build resilience and complete a transition to urban areas fit for the future.

Global challenges of the 21st century can cause a significant threat to water security in urban areas in the future. Rising temperatures, increased precipitation, and more frequent extreme weather events are transforming the availability and distribution of water resources, leading to increased pressure on water systems and infrastructure. Furthermore, the reduction of permeable green space and loss of floodable urban spaces will increase the vulnerability of urban environments.

Cities are already economic engines of entire regions. About 600 urban regions on earth with 20% of the world's population contribute 60% of the GWP (gross world product). Moreover, By the year 2050, 70 % of the world's population will be living in cities and urban areas. Therefore, the demand for water will increase significantly, as well as the number of water stressed areas. Despite the fact that the number of people who have no access to reliable water resources will grow significantly, some areas will be lacking access to any water sources at all or dealing with water pollution issues.