1. Rain water management issue in the urban / postindustrial areas
International Forum of R&D for Eco-innovation: Research for combining environmental priorities with economic opportunities
MSc. Eng. Jan Bondaruk
Central Mining Institute
22 October 2009, Katowice, Poland

2. General origin
Urban areas are facing enormous challenges from population growth, industrialisation, suburbanisation, climate change resulting in escalating costs of water, bad conditions of technical infrastructure and other risks.
Water resources are frequently threatened by waste disposal, releases of industrial pollutants and rainfall and runoff affecting water availability.

3. Population growth
Source: United Nations, DESA, Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: The 2005 Revision

4. Urban cycle vs natural cycle
Natural land
Developed land
Source: California Water and land use partnership brochure

5. Influence of urbanisation on urban water cycle
In highly urbanised areas, over one-half of all rain becomes surface runoff, and deep infiltration is only a fraction of what it was naturally. The increased surface runoff requires more infrastructure to minimize flooding.
Natural waterways end up being used as drainage channels, and are frequently lined with rocks or concrete to move water more quickly and prevent erosion.
In addition, as deep infiltration decreases, the water table drops, reducing groundwater for wetlands, riparian vegetation, wells, and other uses.
Source: California Water and land use partnership brochure

6. Rain/Storm water flooding
Łódź, Poland 2007
Iowa, USA 2008

7. Rain/Storm water issue
Central Europe, 2009
Istanbul, Turkey 2009

8. Cost recovery
How to ensure justified system of payment for losses caused by environmental disasters
Source: A Handbook for Integrated Water Resources Management in Basins

9. IWRM as a good practices example
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as a response to increasing pressures on water
Global Water Partnership definition of IWRM „a process which promotes the coordinated development and the management of water, land and related resources, in order to maximize the resultant economic and social welfare in an equitable manner without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystems”
Goal of IWRM at river basin level:
Achievement of water security
Risk management
Effective and reliable delivery of water services
Coordinating and balancing the various water-using sectors as a part of sustainable water management.
Goal of IWRM at urban level – need to be redefined including specific local conditions

10. Related projects
Evaluation of the impact of global change freshwater ecosystems in Europe (EURO-LIMPS)
Interaction of surface and ground water in river basin and catchement areas (AQAUTERRA)
Water supply system – monitoring technologies and management practices (TECHNEAU)
New approach to river basin management including integration of natural, social science and enginneering (NEWATER)
Source control strategies for reducing emissions of priority pollutants (SCOREPP)
Analysis, quatification and prediction of the current and future global water cycles and related water resources states (WATCH)
Scenarios of Europe's freshwater futures up to 2025 including neighbouring countries (SCENES)

11. Related projects – new concepts FP7
Strategies for European freshwater ecosystems - mitigation the impacts of climate change (REFRESH)
Sustainable management and development of freshwater wetlands in twinned river basins (WETwin)
Assessment of the ecological status of European surface waters and their recovery process (WISER)
Rehabilitation technologies for soil, groundwater and surface water - priority pollutants (AQUAREHAB)
Technological platform for improving the water monitoring (HydroNet)
Consolidation of adaptive practices towards effective governance in river basins (Twin2Go)
Water Availability and Security - integration of climate change scenarios, holistic water system modeling and interdisciplinary impact assessment (WASSERMed)
Strategies for management of the consequences of urban flooding (CORFU)
Risk management for flash floods and debris flow events (IMPRINTS)

12. Thesis for future research needs
Climate change adaptation through strategic planning
Social and economical studies related to the management of water resources
Integrated approach to environmental management with reference to urban sprawl, population growth and economic development issue
Promotion of participative dialogue model
Identification of eco-innovation solutions reducing quantity of pollutants drained with rainwater to water bodies
Enhancing original methodologies for recycling or reuse of waste/rain water on urbanised areas
Elaboration of a set of assessment tools to benchmark urban areas regarding implementation of river basin management principles
Payment for environment services (PES) on urban/postindustrial areas

13. Benefits
Improvement of information on the effects that different activities have on water resources availability, use and quality
More effective transposition of environmental policy including water issue on urban/postindustrial areas
Better understanding of interrelations between spatial planning, pollutant discharge and quality of water bodies (surface and groundwater) in reference to specific local conditions
Networking collaboration between researchers, decision-makers, ecologists and engineers in the field of diminishing an intense pressure of urban areas on ground-water environment

14. Conclusions
Complexity and commonness of this issue is a widespread challenge and requires profound researches and studies including:
Spatial planning vs development of urban centres in economic and social dimension,
Researches regarding sources and directions of pollutions discharge into the environment (surface runoff, runoff from postindustrial areas and dumping sites),
Implementation of Decision Support System (DSS), supporting practical aspects of IWRM on postindustrial areas,
Best practices in identifying urban water cycle and implementation of IWRM,
Financial and legal aspects of environmental management in urban areas,
Eco-innovation research.
Due to crosscutting character of water issue in urban areas, there is a need of effective networking of multidisciplinary teams and creation of mechanism of stakeholders involvement.
Joint actions and cooperative initiatives should promote implementation of eco-innovations in water sector and consolidation of research potential across Europe