Urban Land and Water Management

Good water management in the city includes a complex array of factors: safety, public health and sustainability, to name just a few. Our research and our specialist consultancy focus on specific local situations. We advise clients about new technologies, management, and partnerships with the numerous organisations and individuals involved in urban water.

Five focus areas for urban water management

The burden imposed on water in the city is large. Cities in delta areas face the challenge of dealing with water in sustainable ways to maintain habitable conditions in the city. For us, water management is:

• Sustainable
  We can achieve this goal by using water as efficiently as possible and by investing in innovative technologies like heat and cold storage.
• Climate-robust
  Water management needs to be climate-resilient and allow for both higher temperatures and heavier rainfall. Good drainage and the minimisation of the risk of flooding are crucial here.
• Flexible and adaptable
  Urban concentrations in deltas and in coastal and river areas should be reasonably adaptable to factors like changes in climatic conditions, population profiles and the economic situation.
• Healthy
  Good urban water management takes into consideration public health, the environment and ecological systems. Investments in good drinking water, adequate drainage systems and surface water containing a minimum of pathogens and chemical contaminants are examples of this.
• Pleasant and agreeable
  Residents and visitors should find water in a city enjoyable, for example for recreational purposes.

Consultancy areas

We advise about:

• Policy preparations and the drafting of broad visions for the future.
• Design for the structuring and management of urban surface water and groundwater.
• Groundwater management and damage caused by groundwater, for example as a result of ground settlement.
• Innovative concepts in the area of urban water management and water supplies, like ways of collecting and draining rainwater more effectively, extracting energy from water and managing falling ground levels.
• Quality assurance, risk management and risk management for large projects.
• Knowledge development and transfer, for example through training courses. 

Distinctive in terms of substance; strong in partnerships

We like to combine wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge of urban water with strong partnerships. This is crucial in urban areas because of the large number of stakeholders. We get them involved in planning at an early stage to ensure that solutions emerge that have wide support. Solutions that link sound, attractive designs with a balance between economic conditions, costs, benefits, demographic factors and risks.

Downloads

leaflet on Urban Water Management (380 kb).
Land & Water management in the urban environment