1. STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
18 September 2018
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Notes to the trainer:
This presentation has been compiled for your use in training sessions. It is intended to be a source of material, putting Module 1 of the SWITCH Training Kit into slide form for your convenience.
Please extract/adapt/shorten/tailor the presentation according to your needs, while respecting the terms of use detailed on the final slide of this presentation. In particular, the trainer should always make links to the local context, to local issues and realities, to make the presentation most relevant for its audience.
The text in the notes section of each slide is taken directly from the modules and is intended to give you, the trainer, pointers on what to focus on for each slide. The notes are not intended directly for the presentation audience, so please pick out the most relevant points.
Presentation tips for trainers:
An average slide presentation should not be more than 10 to 12 slides: make allowance for people’s limited listening attention span.
However, do not rush your presentation. If a complex image is shown, participants need some time to get their head around it. If you lack the time, make sure not to show any complicated figures or diagrams.
In the case of longer presentations, breaks are needed for allowing questions/comments/discussions. However, a balance should be struck: allowing questions any time is not necessarily the best solution – it can be disturbing and break the flow of information to be provided. A solution is to plan for interruptions by structuring slide presentations into meaningful chunks of content.
Presentations typically make for one way communication, but it is possible and advisable to turn them into a tool for two-way communication (or ‘interactive presentation’), by using the slides to get into a conversation with participants. For example: – The presenter can ask questions from her/his side, such as: “is this also true/relevant here in your city?” – The presenter can ask participants to guess a piece of information that is then revealed on the next slide, e.g. “20 years ago, water consumption in your city was 150 l/day – what do you think it is now?” – The presenter can use images rather than text and ask participants what they see; he/she can then build on their feedback to introduce a certain issue
– Etc.
Module 1 of the SWITCH Training kit

2. The importance of good urban water management
18 September 2018
Social equity
Human health
Green space and urban biodiversity
Safety
Good urban design
(Module 1 p 9, 18-19)
Module 1 promotes an integrated approach to urban water management on the premise that:
‘The design and management of the urban water system based on an analysis of the entire system will lead to more sustainable solutions than separate design and management of elements of the system.’ SWITCH hypothesis (van der Steen 2009)
Water management is closely related to urban quality of life. When managed poorly, the health and safety of a city’s population, its economy and its natural environment are all compromised. For example:
Public health – The lack of a clean supply of water and the unhygienic disposal of wastewater causes waterborne diseases
Security – Poor management of stormwater and land development leads to urban flooding putting lives, livelihoods and property at risk.
Economy – An insufficient supply of water limits economic activity and the economic development of a city.
Environment – Over-abstraction from, and untreated discharges, to urban water bodies damages ecosystems and limits their value for recreation.
IUWM has the great potential to improve a city’s standard of living at a much broader scale.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

3. Links within the water cycle
18 September 2018
(Module 1 p 14-15)
Elements of the urban water cycle are inextricably linked. The conventional approach of managing individual elements of the system will often result in unintended impacts elsewhere in the cycle. Likewise poor management of one element can influence the successful management of another.
Stormwater – Wastewater
Sewer capacities: In combined sewer systems stormwater can cause treatment works to exceed capacity during heavy rainfall events
Water treatment standards: In combined systems the additional pollutants contained in stormwater such as heavy metals and oils adds further pressure to treatment works
Wastewater – Water supply
Potential resource: Treated wastewater can be recycled for use in water supply purposes such as non-potable use, GW recharge and water features
Wastewater volume: The volume of water consumed equals the amount of water that needs to be treated
Water supply – Stormwater
Water quality: Polluted stormwater runoff reduces the quality of receiving water bodies. This increases treatment requirements and costs if this same source is used for water supply
Potential resource: Stormwater can be collected and reused for water supply purposes such as non-potable use, GW recharge and water features
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

4. Links between water and other sectors of urban planning
18 September 2018
Links between water and other sectors of urban planning
(Module 1 p 16-17)
The urban water cycle is directly and indirectly linked with a range of urban departments. In spite of this, water management is often neglected when decisions in these sectors are being taken. Examples of these links include:
Housing – New housing developments require water supply and sanitation services. Once inhabited, new housing increases urban water demand and wastewater treatment requirements
Waste management – Solid waste pollutes water resources and blocks drainage channels whereas waste collection and disposal sites can be flooded
Farming – Urban agriculture requires water for irrigation and the use of fertiliser and pesticides causes pollution in local water bodies
Health – The health of urban populations can be impacted through water borne and parasitic diseases caused by contaminated and stagnant water. Medical treatment also impacts on water quality through pharmaceutical waste entering the water cycle
Land-use management – The transformation of natural landscapes to urban ones alters the local hydrology which can increase the risk of flooding and pollution of local water bodies
Local economic development – Urban economic growth is dependent on a sufficient and reliable supply of water for industrial output and population growth
Parks, gardens and recreation – Land uses such as parks and gardens, golf courses and sports fields rely on large quantities of fresh water for irrigation. The use of fertilisers and pesticides to manage these can result in the pollution of local water bodies
Energy – Energy is both generated, in the case of hydroelectric plants, and consumed, through pumping and treatment, by water.
Roads and transport – The construction of roads leads to increased surface runoff which can increase the risk of flooding and cause stormwater pollution. Roads and other transport infrastructure are also vulnerable to damage from flooding events.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

5. Conventional versus integrated approach to urban water management
18 September 2018
Conventional versus integrated approach to urban water management
Aspect of urban water
management
Conventional approach
Integrated approach
Overall approach
Integration is by accident
Physical and institutional integration is by design
Collaboration with stakeholders
Collaboration = public relations
Collaboration = engagement
Choice of infrastructure
Infrastructure is made of concrete, metal or plastic
Infrastructure can also be green
Management of stormwater
Stormwater is a constraint
Stormwater is a resource
Management of human waste
Human waste is collected, treated and disposed of
Human waste is a resource
Management of water demand
investment in new supply sources and infrastructure
Other options are given priority over developing new resources
Choice of technological solutions
Complexity is neglected and standard engineering solutions are employed
Diverse solutions and new management strategies
(Module 1 p 11)
Drawbacks of the conventional approach to urban water management:
Fragmentation – The various elements of the urban water system are often operated in isolation. Such a fragmented approach can result in technical choices that are based on the benefits to an individual part of the system, but may neglect the impacts caused elsewhere.
• Short-term solutions – Water management in both developing and developed countries often focuses on today’s problems, opting for short-term solutions despite the risk that the implemented measures are not cost effective or sustainable in the long-term.
• Lack of flexibility – Conventional water infrastructure and management tends to be inflexible to changing circumstances. Water supply, wastewater treatment and stormwater drainage systems are constructed to match fixed capacities and when these are exceeded problems occur. Likewise, the management of these systems becomes dysfunctional when faced, for example, with increasing climate variability and rapidly growing urban demand.
• Energy intensive – Conventional water distribution and treatment infrastructure is energy intensive. Power cuts and rapid increases in fuel costs can disrupt services. Intensive energy use also results in high levels of CO2 emissions at a time when many cities are trying to reduce their carbon footprint.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

6. Integrated approaches to urban water management
18 September 2018
Stormwater is attenuated and retained using natural systems
Wastewater is separated at source and reused
Reducing water demand is given priority over increasing supply
Innovative solutions are encouraged
Physical and institutional integration in the management of the water cycle
(Based on Mitchell, 2004)
(Module 1 p 12-13)
IUWM looks at water resources and systems in a new way. Conventional interventions are reassessed and replaced where necessary with innovative solutions that are more cost effective, viable in the long-term across the urban water cycle and sensitive to the needs of society.
Stormwater is attenuated and retained using natural systems – Stormwater is a resource that can be harvested for water supply and retained to support aquifers, waterways and vegetation
Wastewater is separated at source and reused – Wastewater is a resource and should be used productively for energy generation and agriculture
Reducing water demand is given priority over increasing supply – Options to reduce demand, harvest rainwater and reclaim wastewater are given priority over developing new resources
Innovative solutions are encouraged – Allow diverse solutions (technological and ecological) and new management strategies that encourage cooperation of sustainable water management, urban design and landscape architecture
Physical and institutional integration in the management of the water cycle – Physical and institutional integration is by design. Linkages must be made between water supply, wastewater and stormwater through highly coordinated management.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

7. Integrated Urban Water Management – Benefits
18 September 2018
Integrated Urban Water Management – Benefits
Increased water availability
Reduced cost of water treatment
Increased biodiversity
Identification of more cost effective and viable solutions
(Module 1 p 12-13)
In response to the limitations of current management styles, IUWM is promoted as an approach where all aspects of the urban water cycle are treated as one system, and all relevant institutions are involved in ensuring that such integration is achieved.
IUWM requires (Based on Mitchell (2004)):
• all parts of the water cycle to be considered as an integrated system;
• all dimensions of sustainability to be balanced;
• all stakeholders including all water users to be involved;
• all water uses to be taken into account; and
• all specifics of the local context to be addressed.
Benefits:
Increased water availability – For example by targeting inefficient use and promoting water recycling increases the availability of water for economic development.
Reduced cost of water treatment – For example by exploring pollution prevention and control opportunities
Increased biodiversity – For example by restoring urban rivers and constructing natural systems for water treatment
Identification of more cost effective and viable solutions – For example through cross-sectoral coordination and multi-stakeholder involvement
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

8. Strategic planning for IUWM
18 September 2018
A strategic planning process provides the framework that encourages the shift in existing water management practices, technologies and governance that IUWM requires. It gives institutions the reason and the means for making the desired changes and is therefore recommended for the adoption of IUWM. A strategic planning process typically consists of a number of phases, the outcomes from which are reviewed on a regular basis. These are:
Baseline assessment – Collection and analysis of information on water uses, users, issues and outside influences.
Visioning and setting of objectives – Development of a long-term vision for the city’s water system and the objectives and targets necessary for achieving it. Indicators need to accompany the objectives to allow successes and failures to be evaluated.
Strategy development – The development of a strategy that will meet the objectives and achieve the vision under a range of future scenarios
Action plan implementation - The implementation of actions that put the strategy into practice within a timeframe and the availability of financial and other resources.
Monitoring and evaluation – Measuring and assessing the outcomes of implementation to make sure that the intended results are being achieved and to change the course of action if needed.
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

9. Enabling factors Stakeholder involvement
18 September 2018
Enabling factors
Stakeholder involvement
Internal coordination in administration
The role of local politics
(Module 1 p 25-27)
Managing the urban water cycle in a holistic manner is not possible without engaging all those who are either using the water or who are responsible for taking care of its individual elements via policy-making, legislation, regulation, construction, abstraction, water treatment, etc. No key stakeholder should be left out and this collaboration needs to be planned carefully if a more integrated approach is to truly succeed.
In order to make integration a reality, stakeholders play a varying, but continuous role throughout the strategic planning process. Early involvement is advisable to gain and strengthen their ownership and thus their motivation right from the beginning.
The strategic planning process for IUWM requires the participation and cooperation of various departments and institutions that may not be accustomed to working together. The establishment of a coordination unit can overcome this constraint by achieving a ‘helicopter view’ over the entire urban water system. In this way, the evaluation of proposed options can be based on the interest of the system as a whole, and negative
side effects can be kept to a minimum.
IUWM can only be achieved if management units are working in coordination with the politicians who are directing local development and allocating the accompanying finances and other resources. A formal endorsement by the city council, or equivalent, to gain high level support for the strategic planning process is therefore essential to put the transformation in motion
STRATEGIC PLANNING – Preparing for the future
Project outline, Management and Organisation

10. ICLEI European Secretariat
Slides produced by:
ICLEI European Secretariat
© 2011 ICLEI European Secretariat GmbH, Leopoldring 3, Freiburg, Germany
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