WATER CHALLENGES FOR URBAN RESILIENCE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS WATER CHALLENGES FOR URBAN RESILIENCE 1. THE PROBLEM: a. : crisis and problems of urban water i. the cycles of droughts and floods

2. THE TRADITIONAL SOLUTION 1. TECNICS: solving urban water problems through a technological paradigm for large infrastructure projects

3. THE VULNERABILITIES AND THE RISKS OF THE TRADITIONAL SOLUTION 4. IN SEARCH OF ALTERNATIVES a.

5. SOME ILLUSTRATIONS a. How do we implement a project for restoring urban rivers? a. The aesthetic appreciation of the river a. We need to redesign the city a. Belize b. Pereira c. Cartagena

b. governance

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The problem

THE PROBLEM CONTEXT: climate change and variability Recent droughts have had crippling effects in Folsom Lake and other water supply systems in California (Jan. 16, 2014).Photo credit: California department of water resources. http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/30684

Typhoon Etau: thousands evacuated as severe flooding hits Japan. Thursday 10 September 2015 10.25 BST. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/10/japan-floods-sparkevacuations-of-thousands-from-towns

RAPIDLY CHANGEABLE PATTERNS OF CYCLES OF DROUGHT AND FLOODS • Scarcity of water • Low quality of water • The impacts of water shortage on electricity and energy production • Poor mitigation of floods and sewer services

A (GLOBAL) URBAN WATER CRISIS IMPACTS OF WATER CRISIS ON MEGA-CITIES AND URBAN REGIONS THE CASE OF SAO PAULO BRAZIL

A resident looks out of her apartment in a building painted with a drought-related mural, painted by Brazilian artist Mundano, depicting a man getting water from a cactus plant, in Sao Paulo November 25, 2014. REUTERS/NACHO DOCE. HTTP://WWW.REUTERS.COM/ARTICLE/2014/11/29/US-SAO-PAULO-WATERIDUSKCN0JD05020141129

WATER PROBLEMS ARE CHALLENGES IN URBAN RESILIENCE that pose enormous challenges to the stability of cities and urbanizing regions, and make them vulnerable FACING THESE CHALLENGES OF URBAN RESILIENCE REQUIRES changes in existing technical approaches, governance arrangements and in the aesthetics of resilience

The traditional solution to Water problems

THE TRADITIONAL SOLUTION The urban water problem has been perceived primarily as AN ENGINEERING CHALLENGE TO be solved by technical experts through the construction of complex grey infrastructure systems based on large hydroelectric dams, trunk pipelines, and treatment plants. THIS POWERFUL PARADIGM addresses 5 related issues: WATER QUALITY (public health), WATER SECURITY (reliability of supply), SANITATION (wastewater disposal). FLOODING

Dam, reservoirs

ENERGY PRODUCTION

DAMS AND RESERVOIRS IN RIVER VALLEYS ACT AS THE MAIN INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYNG WATER TO MEGA-CITIES For instance, Greater Sao Paulo, is the most important industrial producer of Brazil. Sao Paulo City, the world's ninth-largest city RELIES HEAVILY ON THE CANTAREIA WATER SYSTEM OF DAMS for hydroelectricity generation to power industry, Irrigation for farms, And, drinking water

For a while, large dams AS THE HEGEMONIC TECHNOLOGICAL PARADIGM TO SOLVE WATER PROBLEMS, were out of fashion, but now, Large dams are making a comeback everywhere including Colombia (Magdalena (11-15 hydroelectric dams) and Cauca river)

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vulnerabilities and the risks of the dominant technological paradigm and traditional solution to urban water problems

DECREASE IN WATER SUPPLIES Scarce rainfall; extreme temperatures, Exceptional drought, the devastating effect California’s historic drought is having on local reservoirs as some have reached all-time lows. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2569919/Shocking-picturesCalifornia-drought-reveal-extent-dry-spell-relief-way.html

GENERATE UNPRECEDENTED DROPS IN RESERVOIR AND DAM LEVELS That translate into threatening water shortages, drought emergencies, and the stress of water crisis for millions of urban residents (as currently experienced in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but also in CA, Sta Marta, Cali, etc)

similar cases of UNPRECEDENTED DROPS IN RESERVOIR AND DAM LEVELS are found elsewhere, for instance, in California

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead on May 22, with the water level nearing a record low. The white ring left behind by minerals in the receding water shows where the water level stood more than 14 years ago. (Photo: Richard Lui/The Desert Sun)

SAO PAULO'S MAIN WATER SUPPLY—CALLED THE CANTAREIRA SYSTEM OF DAMS (a System of interconnected lakes that supplies water to 8 million people in Sao Paulo )—is running on emergency reserves. The water of the city’s main supply is all gone, the mega-city is suffering the worst drought and urban crisis, and, its millions residents are experiencing water stress

Welcome to the Cantareira desert’ is written on a car which was once submerged in water, at the Atibainha dam, part of the Cantareira reservoir. Photograph: EPA. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/23/brazil-worst-drought-history

This extreme climate scenario, is bringing the largest metropolitan and richest region of Brazil, and its water supply system, to the brink of collapse.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30962813

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A mural by by Brazilian artist Mundano is one of many around São Paulo commenting on the city's water crisis. Reservoir levels are still below 20 percent of capacity heading into the region's dry season. Credit: Nacho Doce/Reuters. http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-03-12/south-americas-largestcity-almost-out-water

RIESGOS Y DESASTRES ENCADENADOS SEQUIA EN LAS INFRAESTRUTURAS PROVEEDORAS DE AGUA 1

Sao Paulo la ciudad mas grande (mega-ciudad de 20 millones) y rica de LA se queda sin agua

(4 millones) Ciudadanos en situación de riesgo permanente por el CORTE AL ACCESO AL AGUA POTABLE EN LAS GRANDES CIUDADES (Sao Paulo, Río de Janeiro, y Minas de Gerais)

2

La falta de precipitación tambien genera una CRISIS ENERGETICA EN LAS GRANDES CIUDADES

3

Impactos negativos sobre LA AGRICULTURA Y PRODUCCION DE ALIMENTOS PARA LAS GRANDES CIUDADES

4

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5

DES-EMPLEO RURAL Y URBANO

Disminucion dramatica an los niveles de aguas DE LOS SISTEMAS DE EMBALSES que proveen a las ciudades

Causes of the drought • • •

El niño Climate change Urbanization and deforestation of the watershed that feeds the dams

EL NIÑO Uvas Reservoir in Santa Clara County more than a year ago, before another year of dry weather (http://phys.org/news/2015-05-climate-california-epic-droughtworse.html )

Uvas Reservoir in Santa Clara County more than a year ago, before another year of dry weather. Credit: Ian Abbott/flickr, CC BY-NC. Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-05-climate-california-epic-droughtworse.html#jCp

CLIMATE CHANGE: RIO

UN TERCER ENFOQUE

VOLADOR BOMBEO de BIOTICO Ecosistema para laYproduccion aguas lluvias

ALTERNATIVO Lo que interrumpe los patrones climaticos (y genera la sequia) en las ciudades Brazileras, • ademas del calentamiento global, • es la destruccion de los ecosystemas que producen las agua lluvias; • (la deforestación: a tala y la quema de la selva amazonica para la produccion de carne a ser consumida en ciudades desarrolladas) • y la acelerada expansion de las ciudades sobre las cuencas y sus bosques

Destruccion del ecosistema (tala para

Resultado: triple inseguridad de agua-

produccir carne en ves de agua para las ciudades)

energia-alimentos en las ciudades

CLIMATE CHANGE The impacts of drought caused by climate change clouds hydro's own future. climate change itself is threatening the viability of big hydro projects today and tomorrow due to LOWER FUTURE WATER FLOWS. Rising temperatures are also eating away at glaciers, the ultimate source for many of the world’s biggest rivers and essentially the longterm power-pack for many of the world’s biggest hydroelectric projects

EXPANSION URBANA SOBRE LA CUENCA Y SUS BOSQUES LA PÉRDIDA DE BOSQUES EN LA CUENCA DE LA SIERRA DA CANTAREIRA, QUE ALIMENTA LOS SEIS EMBALSES ARTIFICIALES QUE SUPLEN A SÃO PAULO DE AGUA , HA CONTRIBUIDO A LA SEQUIA

http://mikamienvironmentalblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/climate-change-mudancas-climaticas-246.html

Urban land use, extensive monocultures and illegal occupation of watersheds have damaged and polluted the water production areas, jeopardising their capacity to survive and recover from extended dry seasons.

THE IMPACTS OF rising temperatures, patterns of rain fall, DROUGHT CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE CLOUDS HYDRO'S OWN FUTURE. CLIMATE CHANGE ITSELF IS THREATENING THE VIABILITY OF BIG HYDRO PROJECTS TODAY AND TOMORROW DUE TO LOWER FUTURE WATER FLOWS. Rising temperatures are also gnawing away at glaciers, the ultimate source for many of the world’s biggest rivers and essentially the long-term power-pack for many of the world’s biggest hydroelectric projects

Given the scale of proposed dam building in the Amazon, the lack of attention to climate risks on proposed and existing projects is a dangerous trend. Currently, climate change variability is not factored into the environmental assessment process for dams in Brazil. For a country that is so heavily dependent on dam reservoirs for water storage and hydroelectricity, this is highly irresponsible.

LINK DEFORESTATION OF DAM WATERSHED WITH URBAN ISSUES

It is therefore fundamental to ESTABLISH A LINK

BETWEEN DEFORESTATION (CLIMATE CHANGE) IN THE IN THE WATERSHED OF THE DAM AND THE RIVER AND THE REDUCTION OF RAINFALL , THE REDUCTION OF WATER LEVELS IN THE RESERVOIR, AND URBAN WATER SCARCITY IN THE CITIES

BEFORE MOVING INTO THE SUBJECT OF ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL WATER

SUPPLY SYSTEM, LET US LOOK BRIEFLY INTO A SECOND MAIN LIMITATIONS OF DAMS AS THE MAIN SOLUTION TO URBAN WATER PROBLEMS

AESTHETIC APPRECIATION THE DAM COMPLETELY CHANGES THE RIVER, primarily because it no longer flows in the way that it did, but is stopped and released as the need requires:. THE DAM THREATENS FREE FLOATING RIVERS, FLOODPLAINS AND DELTAS The river is not only used up in a way that lets to fade into the background of our concern, but manipulated and made literally into a pool of resource.. Whilst the dam actually alters the river, so that it is no longer a flowing body of water, but a reservoir to be released through the turbines when needed,

A second very important risk of the dominant tech-paradigm is hydroelectric dams have damaged the ecological integrity of nearly every major river and have destroyed runs of migratory fish

There is not an AESTHETIC APPRECIATION of the river that could leads us directly to an ethical principle of preservation

the River appears as something at our command--the river is dammed up into the power plant

THE MAGDALENA RIVER basin is ONE OF THE highest freshwater ecoregions in the world, with a great diversity of fish species. t will be highly impacted by the 11-15 dams the government and the chinese are planning to construct in the river.

Main conclusion

MAIN CONCLUSION. Large dams maybe an ineffective approach for solving the water and energy needs of cities and urban regions

alternatives NOT PERFECT ANSWERS BUT POSSIBLE ANSWERS

The solutions to the severe drought (for instance in Brazil, but also here) must go DEEPER THAN WATER RATIONING

In a way the water problem is a aesthetic problem, if we understand aesthetics as a problem of aesthetic appreciation that is related with ethical judgments concerning the good life

ALTERNATIVE 1: undamming rivers

ALTERNATIVE 2: wáter infrastructure by design Future dams can be designed to better balance climate change risks, social and environmental impacts, and economic considerations by better evaluating all aspects of the project before construction finding basin- or system-scale solutions that in a larger perspective provide the highest possible sum of economic, social and environmental values. reconcile DAMS with preserving the values of free-flowing rivers, within the river basin, THROUGH DESIGN SCENARIOS and system scales planning

Plan at the river basin and región scale Identify conservation and development solutions at multiple scales

ALTERNATIVE 3: from mono-functional grey infrastructures (the conventional response: dams) to multi-functional blue and green eco-infrastructures for addressing wáter stress restoring rivers to their natural state — taking down dams, removing levees, and reviving floodplains (finding space for nature to return along its river banks). See Case Belize Cities must invest in the protection and conservation of the wátershed Associated with its dams

Upstream approaches such as restoring river banks and terracing hillsides to reduce nutrient and sediment runoffs are investments in a better functioning environment that can improve water quality and lower treatment costs (see case Pereira) To reduce the vulnerability of countries’ electricity sectors due to climate change, diversification away from a dominating dependence on large dams for electricity and flood control may be necessary Small scale hydroelectric projects, wind, and solar are more resilient to climate change than large centralized dams and have less severe impacts on the environment.

. We should extend our definition of water infrastructure to include the entire river systems and watersheds that our cities depend on, and incorporate investment in those watersheds as part of our normal toolkit of securing water for people.

Some brief illustrations

Some brief illustrations

Pereira-project: alternative urbanization models for the Andean urban watersheds

Como se urbaniza el paisaje (cultural del café)

Y sus cuencas?

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Patron de urbanizacion

Que degrada el paisaje Se elimina la topografia

Se urbaniza la cuenca Se eliminan las brisas y los corredores de ventilacion Se crean nuevos Riesgos de derrumbe e inundacion

La propuesta Es una alternativa A dicho modelo De destruccion del paisaje y de las cuencas urbanas

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PRIMER PROJECTO MULTISECTORIAL Ecoinfraestructuras multifuncionales Para el Manejo integral de aguas lluvias La ecoinfraestructura se Crea a traves del manejo del corte de la cuenca CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 11/02/2015

Corte areas de la cuenca-caracteristicas

unicas que definen

projectos de desarrollo e inversion asociados con cada zona VALLE

LADERA

CORREDORES ESPACIO NUEVO DESARROLLO ABIERTO -red integrada URBANO De infraestructuras verdes Denso y mixto

CRESTA

BOSQUE DE LADERA COMUNIDAD EN LA CRESTA DE LA CUENCA Caudal natural /flujo agua lluvia

TEJIDO URBANO EXISTENTE Transporte alternativo

BOSQUE DE LADERA conservacion

ESPACIOS ABIERTOS DE ENCUENTRO

recreacion Calidad del agua Infraestructuras civicas

Rutas bicis y peatones

DESARROLLO URBANO ambientalmente dinamico, sensitivo, denso y mixto (vivinda, trabajo, comrcio) Transporte alternativo

Minimizar impactos Red integrada de infraestructuras verdes

Rutas bicis y peatones

Desarrollo urbano ambientalmente sensitivo, denso y mixto

Corte areas de la cuenca-caracteristicas unicas

de la cuenca que definen tipos de projectos de desarrollo e inversion asociados con cada zona y seccion del corte Corredores espacio

desarrollo urbano

Caudal natural /flujo agua lluvia

Jardines De aguas lluvias

Comunidad en la cresta De la cuenca

VALLE

LADERA

CRESTA

Abierto/publico -red integrada Denso y mixto De infraestructuras verdes

BOSQUE DE LADERA

Corredores Corredores naturales naturales De brisas y vientos De brisas y vientos 9/23/2015

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Jardines de agua lluvia (humedal construido) Oportunidades de manejo de aguas lluvias a nivel local • proceso de purificacion natural atraves de jardines de lluvia

INPUT: Aguas poluidas

OUTPUT: Aguas limpias

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Dichos jardines se pueden sembrar con ESPACIO CONSTRUIDOS PENSADOS

COMO MICROCOSMOS DE LA CUENCA

los jardines de aguas lluvias y humedales construidos

Las edificaciones se pueden inspirar en el ecosistema de la cuenca y contribuir al manejo de las aguas pluviales., al tratamiento de las aguas grises, y a minimizar el uso del agua

las viviendas se organizan alrededor de los jardines de aguas lluvias y humedales construidos propuestos arriba (slide anterior); se incluyen techos verdes para aumentar la eficiencia energetica, y el escurrimiento del agua.

ESPACIO CONSTRUIDOS PENSADOS COMO MICROCOSMOS DE LA CUENCA

los jardines de aguas lluvias y humedales construidos

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Vivienda mixta asociada con el nuevo uso del rio, con el parque tecnologico y con los nodos de innovacion localizados a lo largo en el eje del conocimiento

ecoinfraestructura Eje conocimiento

promenade rio

vivienda 9/23/2015

Vivienda mixta asociada con el uso de las dos vias: la de acceso al lugar y la de servicios

ecoinfraestructura Eje conocimiento

promenade rio

vivienda

EL MARCO Y ESTRATEGIA DE MOBILIDAD

Peatones/bikes Vehiculos privados

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ECOINFRAESTRUCTURA MULTIFUNCIONAL

HABITANDO EL ECOSISTEMA Y SUS ECOINFRAESTRUCTURAS

ECOINFRAESTRUCTURAS CIVICAS

bosque bosque bosque

bosque

DESARROLLO URBANO

QUE MEJORE LA CAPACIDAD REGENERATIVA DE SUS ECOSISTEMAS COMO PRE-REQUISITO PARA EL FUTURO DE NUESTRAS CIUDADES

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Some brief illustrations

Belize- City project: alternative urbanization models for river deltas and coastal cities

RE-DESCUBRIR EL FRENTE DEL RIO

Los DESAFIOS a enfrentar en el rio

RENOVACION ECOLOGICA Como reconstruir un ecosistema sano ? Como adaptarnos al cambio climatico?

EL RIO COMO DESTINO Como Convertir el rio en un destino importante para la ciudad?

ECONOMIA Como estimular la formacion de Nuevas economias e industrias en el corrdor del rio?

IDENTIDAD CULTURAL La relacion con el rio define la identidad de la ciudad a lo largo de la historia Como recuperar esta identidad? Carlos h betancourth 29/01/2015-02/02/15

RE-DESCUBRIR EL FRENTE DEL RIO 3 ESTRATEGIAS para un rio resiliente Reorientar el desarrollo urbano al rio RE-Construir infraestructura ecologica

Desarrollar la vision en el tiempo

Carlos h betancourth 29/01/2015-02/02/15

Key investment projects:

The Halouver Creek-Belize River urban ensemble

chetumal

THE MAIN POINTS OF URBAN ACUPUNCTURE ALONG THE RIVER PARA RECONSTRUIR LA INFRAESTRUCTURA ECOLOGICA

Roundabout at CAB Collet canal

Mouth of the river

RE-DESCUBRIR EL FRENTE DEL RIO 3 ESTRATEGIAS para un rio resiliente Construir infraestructura ecologica

Desarrollar la vision en el tiempo Reorientar el desarrollo urbano al rio

Carlos h betancourth 29/01/2015-02/02/15

FIRST PHASE Years 0-2/5: reconnect Belize City citizens to the Belize-river and the Halouver creek Key Investment projects Canal Linear parks

RE-DESCUBRIR EL FRENTE DEL RIO 3 ESTRATEGIAS para un rio resiliente Construir infraestructura ecologica

la vision en el tiempo Reorientar el desarrollo urbanoDesarrollar al rio

Carlos h betancourth 29/01/2015-02/02/15

FIRST PHASE Years 0-1/2: setting the stage Key Investment projects Opening the city and the Mule park to the river through the commercial center

FIRST PHASE Years 0-1/2: setting the stage Key Investment projects Opening the city and the Mule park to the river through the commercial center

FIRST PHASE Years 0-1/2: setting the stage Key Investment projects Opening the city and the Mule park to the river through the commercial center

FIRST PHASE Years 0-1/2: setting the stage Key Investment projects Opening the city and the Mule park to the river through the commercial center: begin transformation of plaza experience

FROM A CAR DOMINATED MULE PARK TO A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED MULE PARK (The artizan plaza)

MULE PARK’s CONTEMPORARY VERSION OF BELIZE CITY’s VERNACULAR

FIRST PHASE Years 0-1/2: setting the stage Key Investment projects Opening the city and the Mule park to the river through the commercial center: begin transformation of plaza experience

MULE’s PARK CONTEMPORARY VERSION OF BELIZE CITY’s VERNACULAR

FROM A CAR DOMINATED MULE PARK TO A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED MULE PARK (The artizan plaza)

FIRST PHASE Years 0-2/5: reconnect Belize City citizens to the Belize-river and the Halouver creek Key Investment projects Canal Linear parks

FOURTH PHASE Years 15-25: Develop new communities and new industries along the Belize river waterfront Key Investment projects Carbon neutral neighborhoods

New emerging Economic Activities and sectors at the river waterfront (soil factory, Horticulture, etc)

SECOND PHASE Years 1/5-10: Create river-front destinations Key Investment projects the Artizan plazas and The moving bridge urban ensemble

THE MOVING BRIDGE AS A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE

SECOND PHASE Years 1/5-10: Create river-front destinations Key Investment projects Art Park and Amphitheater

THIRD PHASE Years 10-15: develop new neighborhoods and new communities at the river waterfront Key Investment projects Build new riverfront housing programme residential environments:

a river and canal waterfront

settlement

Mangrove forest New settlements (residential areas) Low land lake

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LEVEL 1

EXISITNG PALAFITO HOME (living with water)

AN EVOLVING BUILDING CODE?

LEVEL 2

Firt improvement (living with water)

Further improvement PALAFITO HOME ENERGY/URB AGRICULTURE (closed-loop urbanism) LEVEL 3

Carlos H Betancourth [email protected]

Water plaza

Figure 4.15. Living around a water plaza Source: compiled by author

THIRD PHASE Years 10-15: develop new neighborhoods and new communities at the river waterfront Key Investment projects

a river and canal waterfront settlement: living slong the river/Bourdon Canal: house typologies Build new riverfront housing programme residential environments:

Carlos H Betancourth [email protected]

THIRD PHASE Years 10-15: develop new neighborhoods and new communities at the river waterfront Key Investment projects

a river and canal waterfront settlement: living slong the river/Bourdon Canal: house typologies Build new riverfront housing programme residential environments:

Carlos H Betancourth [email protected]

THIRD PHASE Years 10-15: develop new neighborhoods and new communities at the river waterfront Key Investment projects

a river and canal waterfront settlement: living slong the river/Bourdon Canal: house typologies Build new riverfront housing programme residential environments:

Carlos H Betancourth [email protected]

Some brief illustrations

Cartagena-project:

alternative urbanization models for the Caribbean wetlands

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CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015

CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015

CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015

CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015

CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015

CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015

Thank you CHBetancourth [email protected] 311 374 7147 17/09/2015