Planning for Resilient Water Services in Arid & Semi-arid Regions
- Publication Type:
- Chapter
- Citation:
- Water Security in Human Settlements: Best Practice and Lessons Learned in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas, 2022, pp. 67-84
- Issue Date:
- 2022-06-01
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Filename | Description | Size | |||
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White and Turner chapter 3-preprint.pdf | Published version | 1.46 MB |
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The supply and demand for water in arid and semi-arid regions provide major challenges for urban water service providers and planners. Firstly, there is often significant water scarcity, driven by low rainfall. Where groundwater resources exist, they are often constrained, subject to depletion, or to saline intrusion in coastal regions. Secondly, demand for water is typically elevated compared to more temperate zones, due to the irrigation and cooling demand. Thirdly, there is often a higher peak demand, on a seasonal and even daily basis, due to the strong influence of climate on these two demand categories. Fourthly, there are often different sectors competing for the same constrained water source, such as nearby agriculture, industry or mining. Finally, there is an increased likelihood of extreme climate events that constrain the resource even more.
In arid regions therefore, there is an even greater need for best practice urban planning in the interests of water management, and the use of best practice water planning. This chapter describes what such best practice planning and management might involve, and uses several case studies undertaken by the authors in arid regions in central Australia and in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to demonstrate its application.
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