What is CSE 19802002

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Water, climate change and the development of
cities
Dreaming the impossible, practicing the
possible building green cities for our
world Sunita Narain At the Royal Colloquium in
Honour of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
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The day Mumbai drowned

• Mumbai, July 2005 Rain started 11 am. In 24
  hours, 944 mm lashed the city
• The mega-city drowned
• Double jeopardy
• An extreme weather event combined with bad
  land-water management

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Growth but neglect of green land water bodies
sewage management..
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New vulnerabilities old challenges

• Double jeopardy
• Have to plan for all people for safe water,
  sanitation, transport. Build livable cities
• Have to plan to cope with climate change. Build
  sustainable cities
• If one goes wrong, the others pain exacerbates
• We have to get development right
• But what is right city development?

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Question what is sustainable urban growth?

• In 15 years 1 billion people to be added to urban
  areas, mostly in the South
• But consider environmental impact of much smaller
  urban populations of the rich world on the
  worlds environment
• Think do we know what is sustainable urban
  growth?

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Inherently toxic growth

• The urban-industrial model inherently toxic
• It uses huge amounts of energy and materials and
  leads to huge amounts of waste
• It is extremely capital intensive
• It divides between the rich and the poor
• It is extremely resource intensive
• It creates environmental damage, which needs
  investment to clean up
• Can the South afford this? Do we have to
  leapfrog. Find alternative pathways to growth

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Take water Take sewage

• Cities and industries are growing. They need
  water, which further creates stress
• Cities use clean water and discharge polluted
  water. Adds to pollution, adds to water stress
• With local sources depleted, polluted, cities
  source water from further and further away. Adds
  to costs. Cannot invest in water-waste

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Cities in search for water

• Chennai 235 km(Veeranam lake) and now planning
  to go farther 300 Km (Veeranam extension
  project).
• Bangalore 95 km (Cauvery) pumping 1000 m
  elevation.
• Delhi 450 to 500 km (from Tehri dam)

Chennai
Veeranam lake
Map of Tamil Nadu
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Manjira dam
100 km
Hyderabad
Osman Sagar
Himayat Sagar
105 km
Nagurjuna
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Vaitarna cum Tansa
90 km
Bhatsa
105 km
Mumbai
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INDORE
YASHWANT SAGAR
30 km
INDORE
70 km
Narmada river
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Jodhpur
Indira Gandhi canal
204 km
Rajivgandhi lift canal
JODHPUR
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Distance increases inefficiencies

• Distribution losses in water supply between
  20-50 per cent
• Electricity costs are high. Capital and
  maintenance of pipelines is high
• Cost recovery is difficult as higher
  inefficiencies add to cost
• Cannot invest in efficiencies and clean water for
  all. Can only subsidise rich

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Transportation costs are high. Distribution costs
high. Cannot be recovered. Subsidy to some. Water
inequity in Delhi.
Where pipelines reach
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Add waste to these sums

• The more water we use the more waste we
  generate
• The more waste more money to collect, to
  convey, to treat and to dispose
• Large parts of our cities unconnected to sewage
  illegal, poor settlements
• Even if part sewage treated it mixes with
  untreated. Pollution (India capacity to treat
  18 of sewage)
• But the more waste we do not treat polluted
  water and increased burden of health costs

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Politicial economy of defecation

• Cant pay for full costs for water Costs
  increase as pollution increases
• Cant pay full costs for waste 5 times higher
  costs than supply of water
• Can only provide for few and not for all
• Can only subsidise the rich

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Way ahead Re-invent water and waste management

• Borrow from the past Depend on local water
  sources as far as possible recharge local water
  aquifers
• Cut costs of supply and distribution
• Borrow from the future minimise water use
  recycle and reuse every drop of water Reinvent
  sewage management
• Invest in efficiency close sewage loop

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Re-invest in lakes and ponds of cities Use lakes
as recharge zones for groundwater Cut costs in
distribution of water. Supply to all Invest in
alternative sewage treatment Use lakes as
tertiary sewage treatment zones. Drains as open
treatment zones green areas
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The bottom-line

• Climate change will be devastating
• More extreme weather events more floods, more
  water scarcity
• Can only cope if we get development right
• Opportunity to build cities that are not so
  vulnerable not so inequitous not to unlivable
• Opportunity to think differently
• We have no choice. Have to get it right

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