Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: the Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara
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water Article Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara Jose Arturo Gleason 1,* and Cesar Casiano Flores 2,3 1 Department of Techniques for Construction, University Centre for the Arts, Architecture and Design, University of Guadalajara, 44250 Guadalajara, Mexico 2 Public Governance Institute, Parkstraat 45—box 3609, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; [email protected] 3 Insituto de Investigaciones en Medio Ambiente Xabier Gorostiaga S.J, Universidad Iberioamericana-Puebla, 72820 San Andres Cholula, Mexico * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +52-3313-3117-12 Abstract: Mexico is currently facing important water management challenges. Cities in the country are facing water scarcity and at the same time they struggle with floods during the raining season. The water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approach has proved to be helpful around the world in tackling urban water challenges such as floods or water scarcity. The WSUD approach highlights the role of both the water cycle and the water utilities systems, when transitioning towards a water sensitive stage. Therefore, the objective of this research is to demonstrate the relevance for cities of a WSUD approach by analyzing the current situation of the water cycle and the water utility in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG). This research proposes a case study approach. Within our case of study, we focused on the water cycle and the water utilities system (Sistema Intermunicipal de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (SIAPA)) and ask two questions: (1) What are the causes of water scarcity and flooding in the MAG? and (2) What are the proposals to Citation: Gleason, J.A.; Casiano solve these problems under a WSUD approach? By answering these questions, we identified that Flores, C. Challenges of Water the water management in the MAG corresponds to a single purpose infrastructure. This type of Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case water management is common in developing cities and does not contribute to solve the problems of the Metropolitan Area of of water scarcity and floods. The water supply policy is based only on the construction of large Guadalajara. Water 2021, 13, 601. dams disregarding the storage and use of rainwater, and reuse of greywater, and water-conservation https://doi.org/ 10.3390/w13050601 devices. In order to transition towards a water sensitive stage, changes in the water policy need to take place and a WSUD approach that includes multi-purpose infrastructure, should be considered. Academic Editor: Robert Sitzenfrei Keywords: water sensitive urban design; water sensitive city, water cycle; water utilities; water Received: 2 February 2021 scarcity; flooding Accepted: 20 February 2021 Published: 25 February 2021 Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral 1. Introduction with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- Currently, urban areas worldwide are facing numerous water scarcity challenges such iations. as delivery of drinking water supply, wastewater production, and depleted aquifers [1], and at the same time water urban flood recurrences are increasing, due to factors such as climate change, population growth, changes in land use and aging or inadequate infrastructures [1]. The analysis of both scarcity and flood challenges in urban areas is important because while cities cover just 1% of the Earth’s surface, they produce 80% of Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. the GDP and host 54% of the population [2]. Cities are complex systems where various This article is an open access article actors and processes interact through geographic, institutional and governance scales [3]. distributed under the terms and This complexity creates challenges when implementing strategies to solve water scarcity conditions of the Creative Commons and flood challenges. Their solution and climate change adaptation require strategic Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// investments to deliver sustainable solutions in the long-term [4]. The type of adaptation creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ depends on the cultural, technological, economic, and governance contexts [5]. 4.0/). Water 2021, 13, 601. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050601 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/water Water 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 19 Water 2021, 13, 601 2 of 19 Understanding the challenges of the water sector and climate change, a framework for waterUnderstanding adaptation the issues challenges at the ofcity the leve waterl was sector developed and climate by the change, Cooperative a framework Research for waterCentre adaptation for Water issues Sensitive at the Cities city level in Austra was developedlia (CRCWSC). by the CooperativeThey created Research the concept Centre of for“water Water sensitive Sensitive cities Cities” (WSC) in Australia with the (CRCWSC).idea that nowada Theyys created the largest the concept part of ofthe “water popu- sensitivelation lives cities” in urban (WSC) areas with and the it idea is necessary that nowadays to transition the largest to a partsustainable of the population water manage- lives inment urban in the areas city and [4]. it They is necessary propose toa transiti transitionon framework to a sustainable that allows water benchmarking management in at the the citymacro-scale [4]. They by propose establishing a transition a typology framework of six thatcity allowsstages. benchmarkingFigure 1 below at shows the macro-scale the evolu- bytion establishing process proposed a typology by of sixthe city Urban stages. Wa Figureter Management1 below shows Transitions the evolution Framework process proposed(UWMTF) by [4]. the The Urban final goal Water in Managementthis water tran Transitionssition framework Framework is for a (UWMTF) city to reach [4 ].a WSC The finalstage. goal in this water transition framework is for a city to reach a WSC stage. Figure 1. Urban Water Management Transitions Framework [4]. Figure 1. Urban Water Management Transitions Framework [4]. TheThe firstfirst threethree stagesstages describedescribe thethe evolutionevolution ofof thethe waterwater systemsystem toto provideprovide essentialessential services:services: AccessAccess toto potablepotable waterwater (Water(Water SupplySupply City),City), publicpublic healthhealth protectionprotection (Sewered(Sewered City)City) andand floodflood protectionprotection (Drained(Drained City).City). TheseThese three stagesstages are followedfollowed by thethe Water-Water- waysways City,City, WaterWater Cycle Cycle City City and and ultimately ultimately aa WaterWater Sensitive Sensitive City.City. TheThe lastlast threethree stagesstages describedescribe thethe evolutionevolution towardstowards aa higherhigher orderorder ofof services. services. TheseThese are:are: SocialSocial amenityamenity andand environmentalenvironmental protection,protection, provideprovide reliablereliable waterwater servicesservices underunder aaconstrained constrained resourcesresources context,context, and and ensure ensure intergenerational intergenerational equity equity and an resilienced resilience to climateto climate change change [6]. [6]. In general, In gen- whileeral, while the three the firstthree stages first stages are critical are critical for a city, for the a city, last threethe last stages three respond stages torespond broader to needsbroader of needs society of since society “people since value“people ecological value ec health,ological amenity, health, amenity, thermal thermal comfort, comfort, beauty, andbeauty, equity, and characteristics equity, characteristics that are influencedthat are influenced by water by systems water andsystems considered and considered to make to a citymake livable” a city livable” [7]. [7]. DevelopingDeveloping citiescities tend to be located located in in the the first first three three stages stages where where cities cities have have single sin- glepurpose purpose infrastructure. infrastructure. While While deve developedloped cities cities tend tendto be toloca beted located in thein last the three last stages three stageswhere wherethere is there multi-functional is multi-functional infrastructu infrastructurere and therefore and therefore a more a moreadvanced advanced water water man- managementagement [8]. Multifunctional [8]. Multifunctional infrastructures infrastructures are attractive are attractive for society for society and can and combine can com- ur- bineban ecology urban ecology with safe with and safe usable and usablespaces spaces[9]. Multifunctional [9]. Multifunctional infrastructure infrastructure is also known is also knownas blue-green as blue-green infrastructure infrastructure (BGI) and (BGI) it is anda step it forward is a step from forward single from purpose single infrastruc- purpose infrastructure.ture. An example An exampleof single ofpurpose single purposeinfrastruc infrastructureture is grey infrastructure, is grey infrastructure, which aims which to aimsremove to remove the rainwater the rainwater from the from flooded the flooded area and area to and distribute to distribute it to the it to closest the closest water water body body[10]. Although [10]. Although this grey this infrastructure grey infrastructure has proved has to proved be effective to be effectivein many cases, in many it also cases, has Water 2021, 13, 601 3 of 19 Water 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 19 it also has negative aspects: (a) Changes the local hydrological cycle, (b) increases peak negativeflows, (c) aspects: increases (a) risks