Diagnosis of the Problem Situation Related to the Retention of Stormwater From Road Surfaces in Poland

Sustainable urban water management is an increasingly important socio-political objective, however implementation remains ad hoc. While numerous tools and technologies have been developed to achieve sustainable urban water management, significant socio-institutional barriers remain. These impediments include, among others, institutional fragmentation, poor political leadership and technological lock-in. Exacerbated by a lack of theory and conceptual frameworks to link sustainable urban water management principles with on-ground execution, these barriers contribute to low levels of system-wide implementation capacity. Institutional capacity building is advocated in the sustainable urban water literature as a strategy to facilitate implementation; however, institutional capacity building has limited ability to provide an overview of regime operation, considered critical for enabling system-wide change. Focusing on processes, actor agency and institutions, the field of governance studies provides a useful perspective for understanding holistic regime operation and change. Yet the environmental governance literature remains contested; many scholars support a network or market governance approach while others advocate for hybrid approaches. Moreover, the governance systems needed for enabling sustainable urban water management have been given limited attention. Therefore, the purpose of this thesis is to develop a guiding framework for sustainable urban water governance. Through an emergent research design, systematically drawing on the perspectives of scholars and leading Australian urban water sustainability practitioners, likely attributes of a sustainable urban water management regime were identified. The attributes were focused through the lens of individual, organisational, inter-organisational relationships, and administrative and regulatory regime components. A comparison of the scholarly and practitioner perspectives, together with governance, regime and institutional literatures, explored which governance modes are most likely to enable sustainable urban water management. Overall, this investigation revealed a suite of likely sustainable urban water management regime attributes that are substantially different from traditional and contemporary practice highlighting the considerable regime change required to enable sustainable urban water management. The scholars supported a network governance approach, similar to current adaptive governance and conceptual scholarly urban water management projections, with interdependent actor relations and largely informal administrative arrangements. In comparison, the practitioners advocated hybrid governance arrangements comprising hierarchical and network modes, including a formal administrative framework, with mutually dependent and interconnected actor relationships to facilitate implementation of site specific sustainable urban water management solutions. Both scholars and practitioners supported using a variety of policy instruments, including market governance instruments. The outcomes of this investigation suggest the hybrid governance approach supported by practitioners extends current scholarship by providing detailed information on regime attributes and operation, which can provide insight for practical implementation of network governance approaches which are supported in current urban water management and adaptive governance literature. Additionally, the hybrid approach offers suggestions for successfully integrating the three ideal governance modes and reducing potential tension among the modes. In practice, the proposed framework could be used to design capacity building programs and policy initiatives drawing on mixed governance approaches. To extend this research and improve insight into regime operation and governance dynamics, future research testing the tentative sustainable urban water governance framework in other locations is required.

Yanbu Industrial City (YIC) is known as a new, modern, and heavy industrial urbanization. For that reason the need for new urban water sustainability is probably more evident than in other cities. YIC has been a utility island, self- contained and unconnected to any regional power or water systems. Water sustainability has become a top policy discussion to maintain or enhance all natural and urban elements' growth without compromising the future. YIC where urban areas, their economies and industries are expected to grow rapidly over the next few decades and where natural resource use and environmental quality are already raising grave concerns. Fortunately, Royal Commission Leaders have responded to the challenge by making urban water sustainability development a high priority. The Royal Commission at Yanbu has addressed and overcome many challenges to balance the never ending water sustainability by implementing the integration of all aspects of infrastructure work including: water desalination and distribution, seawater cooling, wastewater treatment industrial sewer), reclaimed water network (fire fighting), sanitary wastewater treatment, irrigation water network and environmental monitoring programs which include ambient monitoring which helps to ensure industries' compliance with environmental regulations and standards, and provides baseline data for use in trend predictions and planning strategies. In addition to ambient monitoring which covers meteorology; air, ground-water, seawater quality; marine and terrestrial ecosystems. YIC's goal of urban water sustainability is to the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

In Rwanda, projects failure is caused by lack of Monitoring and Evaluation staff trainings, technical expertise, design/approach, low level stakeholder involvement, lack of proper planning, lack of supportive supervision, insufficient financial management and poor leadership on feasibility and sustainability project. The general objective of the study is to assess monitoring and evaluation practices and urban water sustainability project in Rwanda. A case of WASAC project in Kigali city and the specific objectives of the study were to assess the influence of project monitoring and evaluation planning on urban water sustainability project in Rwanda, to assess the influence of monitoring and evaluation stakeholders involvement on urban water sustainability project in Rwanda and to determine the effect of monitoring and evaluation trainings on urban water sustainability project in Rwanda. The study was based on two theories such as theory of change and theory of constraints. In this study, a descriptive research design was used and the targeted population includes project management team, project monitoring and evaluation officials, project analysts and engineers. In total they were184 from whom a sample size of 126 was selected as representative of total population. Therefore, a simple sampling technique will be used and data will be collected using questionnaire, interview and documentation. The analysis of data will be done through SPSS version 21. The study findings showed that stakeholders’ involvement is essential in achieving urban water sustainability in the way that M&E planning contribution is at the mean of 3.908 and standard deviation of 0.755, stakeholders involvement contributed to urban water sustainability at the mean of 3.275 and standard deviation of 0.642 while M&E trainings has contributed to urban water sustainability at the mean of4.505 and standard deviation of 0.720 The study found that there are continuous M&E trainings and development of the project staff to acquire skills to implement the project. The study recommended that effective project planning need to be put in place by the project team and managers. Project team should ensure their monitoring and evaluation control plan align with M&E plan. The study recommends a sound stakeholders’ involvement at each phase of the project from initial phase to execution. Keywords: Monitoring and Evaluation, Urban Water Sustainability, WASAC, Project Management, Kigali City Infrastructure

The challenge of decrepit and deficit infrastructure across all sectors in the ECOWAS sub-region is symptomatic of the problems faced by sub-Saharan African countries and indeed the developing world. This paper analyses two critical infrastructure components in the regional community: transport and information and communication technology (ICT). Both theoretical and empirical literature on infrastructure find evidence that infrastructure development is critical to Africa’s long-term economic growth, and that without deliberate, focused policy, the infrastructure gap will widen with attendant negative consequences on growth, poverty reduction and overall development. With a financing requirement of $1464 billion annually for the next decade, for power, transport and the ICT infrastructure components, coupled with volatile income sources as well as weak institutional capacity for resource mobilization in member states, the hope of bridging this infrastructure gap looks dismal. The paper believes that alternative funding can be found in the public–private partnership (PPP) model. Given the right policy and legal environment, the challenges inherent in the PPP framework could be attenuated to serve the needs of infrastructure financing in ECOWAS.

People experiencing poverty and inequality will be affected first and worst by the impacts of climate change to infrastructure and human settlements, including those caused by increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events and natural disasters. They have the least capacity to cope, to adapt, to move and to recover. Community service organisations (CSOs) play a critical role in supporting individuals, families and communities experiencing poverty and inequality to build resilience and respond to adverse changes in circumstances. As such, the services they provide comprise a critical component of social infrastructure in human settlements. However, very little is understood about CSOs own vulnerability to – or their role in managing and mitigating risks to their clients and the community from – climate change impacts to physical infrastructure. The Extreme Weather, Climate Change and the Community Sector – Risks and Adaptations project examined the relationship between physical and social infrastructure (in the form of CSO service provision). Specifically, the ways in which the climate-driven failure of CSO service delivery worsens risks to the individuals and communities they serve and, on the other hand, how preparedness may reduce vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather impacts to human settlements and infrastructure. The research comprised a comprehensive and critical scoping, examination and review of existing research findings and an audit, examination and judgment-based evaluation of the current vulnerabilities and capacities of CSOs under projected climate change scenarios. It employed three key methods of consultation and data collection. A literature review examined research conducted to date in Australia and comparative countries internationally on the vulnerability and climate change adaptation needs of CSOs. A program of 10 Community Sector Professional Climate Workshops consulted over 150 CSO representatives to develop a qualitative record of extreme event and climate change risks and corresponding adaptation strategies specific to CSOs. A national survey of CSOs, which resulted in the participation of approximately 500 organisations, produced a quantitative data set about the nature of CSO vulnerability to climate change and extreme weather impacts to infrastructure, whether and how CSOs are approaching the adaptation task and key barriers to adaptation. While the methods employed and the absence of empirical data sets quantifying CSO vulnerability to climate change impacts create limitations to the evidence-base produced, findings from the research suggest that CSOs are highly vulnerable and not well prepared to respond to climate change and extreme weather impacts to physical infrastructure and that this underlying organisational vulnerability worsens the vulnerability of people experiencing poverty and inequality to climate change. However, the project results indicate that if well adapted, CSOs have the willingness, specialist skills, assets and capacity to make a major contribution to the resilience and adaptive capacity of their clients and the community more broadly (sections of which will be plunged into adversity by extreme events). Despite this willingness, the evidence presented shows that few CSOs have undertaken significant action to prepare for climate change and worsening extreme weather events. Key barriers to adaptation identified through the research are inadequate financial resources, lack of institutionalised knowledge and skills for adaptation and the belief that climate change adaptation is beyond the scope of CSOs core business. On the other hand, key indicators of organisational resilience to climate change and extreme weather impacts include: level of knowledge about extreme weather risks, past experience of an extreme weather event and organisational size. Given its size, scope and the critical role the Australian community sector plays in building client and community resilience and in assisting communities to respond to and recover from the devastating impacts of extreme weather events and natural disasters, the research identifies serious gaps in both the policy frameworks and the research base required to ensure the sector’s resilience and adaptive capacity – gaps which appear to have already had serious consequences. To address these gaps, a series of recommendations has been prepared to enable the development and implementation of a comprehensive, sector-specific adaptation and preparedness program, which includes mechanisms to institutionalise knowledge and skills, streamlined tools appropriate to the needs and capacity of a diverse range of organisations and a benchmarking system to allow progress towards resilience and preparedness to be monitored. Future research priorities for adaptation in this sector have also been identified.

The article defines the meaning of the concept of "critical infrastructure". It is proposed to interpret it in the theoretical aspect (in terms of importance in the infrastructure as a whole and to ensure the development of the country), as well as for the use in regulation and management decisions. Particular attention is paid to determining the functional purpose of critical infrastructure, the characteristics of the criticality of its elements, as well as determining their effects on economic development and financial security. Issues related to the application of measures to support the development and protection of critical infrastructure by public administration are covered. Approaches to the classification of the main components of critical infrastructure, determining their criticality and functional purposes in foreign countries are identified. The issues of carrying out purposeful activities to determine and adopt national priorities for the development and protection of critical infrastructure, implementation of state programs and medium-term plans for their implementation are revealed. Attention is drawn to the need to clearly define the content and components of critical infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as the development and adoption of the necessary regulations that guide public administration bodies to apply them in practice. It is noted that the solution to such problems is intensified in connection with the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires changes in the components of critical infrastructure, the application of additional measures to maintain its functionality and at the same time strengthen financial security.

Investigation and numerical modelling of roof drainage systems under extreme events

In this research, the emphasis is placed on the vital function of roadway systems in spurring economic growth, connecting different communities, and ensuring access to crucial services like education and healthcare. The study identifies several key factors contributing to the wear and tear of road infrastructures, such as extreme weather conditions, high traffic volumes, suboptimal construction techniques, and lack of regular upkeep. Specifically, the occurrence of potholes is highlighted as a major concern, leading to not only discomfort for commuters but also potential vehicle damage and increased risk of traffic incidents. To address this, the research proposes a novel approach that involves monitoring the flow and categorizing vehicles by their weight to gauge their impact on road surfaces. For the accurate identification and mapping of potholes, the study utilizes the advanced capabilities of the YoloV8 algorithm. This technique is further enhanced by integrating it with a mobile application and Google Maps, enabling a comprehensive and city-wide application of the pothole detection system. Roads are a critical component of a nation's infrastructure, but they are subject to deterioration over the time due to various factors. Road damage assessment software has emerged as an innovative solution to monitor, evaluate, and prioritize road maintenance needs. This report provides a comprehensive overview of road damage assessment software, starting with an introduction, followed by a literature survey, limitations of the existing systems, problem statement, proposed system, framework, design details, methodology, experimental setup, details of the database, performance evaluation, software and hardware setup, future work, and references. Key Words: Road , Potholes , Damage , deep learning, Accidents, YOLOv8

Sustainable water management is increasingly essential in an age characterised by rapid population growth, urban and industrial development and climate change. Opportunities to promote conservation and water-use efficiencies remain attractive in directly reducing water demand. Smart water metering and the provision of detailed water-use feedback to consumers present exciting new opportunities for improved urban water management. This paper explores two smart water metering trials in New South Wales, Australia, which provided household water consumption feedback via (i) paper end-use reports and (ii) an online portal. This combination enabled a deeper exploration of the various impacts of detailed feedback enabled via smart water metering. The positive effects uncovered by the research present an important opportunity for smart water metering feedback to contribute towards more sustainable urban water management. Their summary contributes empirical evidence on the impacts for water utilities considering embarking on the smart water metering journey with their customers. The identification of future research and policy needs sets an agenda for smart water metering to promote a sustainable digital urban water future. Larger-scale trials are now required and utilities should integrate the design and plans for scalable advanced feedback programs at the outset of smart meter implementations.

Towards sustainable agricultural water management in Poland – How to meet water demand for supplemental irrigation?

Integrated water management, sustainable water management, water sensitive cities, and other formulations are often presented as the latest in a series of paradigms of water management. This implies a unified approach, while urban water debates reflect a wide diversity of political, social, and technical viewpoints. Five distinct but overlapping frameworks for urban water sustainability are evident in research, policy and practice, reflecting wider environmental theory, politics, and discourse. Sustainable development is based on meeting the needs for water and sanitation of the urban poor. Ecological modernization focuses on policies to improve water efficiency and treatment through technological innovation and individual behavior change. Socio‐technical framings aim to understand how change in water systems occurs across physical and institutional scales and addresses the co‐evolution of infrastructures, cultures, and everyday practices. Urban political ecology analyses water infrastructure in terms of relationships of power, pointing to the unequal distribution of costs and benefits of urban water management for the environment and citizens. Radical ecology addresses the relationship between human culture and non‐human nature, proposing fundamental reorganization of society to solve ecological and hydrological crises. Characterizing alternate frameworks of urban water sustainability provides clarity on the underlying assumptions, methods, and politics across a diversity of approaches. Frameworks may be deployed strategically to deliver policy impact, or may reflect deeply held political or epistemological standpoints. Understanding different conceptions of urban water sustainability provides the basis for more constructive dialogue and debate about water and its role in sustainable cites.This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Water Governance Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

One of the crucial components of transportation infrastructure is the road network system. In an urban environment, the expressway/highway is an integral part of the road network. Thus, collecting and updating all road surface information of expressway is essential for the maintenance agency. Using point cloud data collected from mobile laser scanning, all road surface geometry can be obtained by post–processing 3D point clouds. A region growing approach for the automated road surface extraction from mobile laser scanning system point clouds in the expressway was proposed in this paper. The proposed approach contained three major steps: determining the seeding voxel based on the vehicle trajectory data; extracting the road surface points via integrating the octree–based segmentation and slope–based algorithm; refining the road boundary using the curb–based segmentation algorithm. To assess the accuracy of the proposed approach, the two point clouds of two typical test sites in the expressway environment were performed. The proposed approach automatically extracted the road surface successfully at the high accuracy, with the average completeness of 99.5%, correctness of 96.3%, and quality of 95.9%. The high accuracy results were achieved, thereby indicating the effective and feasible of the proposed approach.KeywordsRoad surfaceVoxelizationMobile laser scanningSegmentationPoint clouds

Assessment of the urban water cycle in Antwerp (BE): The City Blueprint Approach (CBA)

Over several decades, Hong Kong has implemented a number of technological innovations for securing its water supply. But as population growth and the effects of climate change put pressure on existing water sources, new innovations combined with social adaptations will be required. This commentary offers three suggestions for moving toward urban water sustainability in Hong Kong. The suggestions are: diversify sources of water while minimising dependence on desalination, foster public engagement with water and implement water‐sensitive urban design. These suggestions are not intended to be a panacea but to augment existing measures that when combined can move toward the attainment of urban water sustainability.

van de Meene, Susan J. and Rebekah R. Brown, 2009. Delving into the “Institutional Black Box”: Revealing the Attributes of Sustainable Urban Water Management Regimes.Journal of the American Water Resources Association(JAWRA) 45(6):1448‐1464.Abstract: This paper is based on the proposition that the transition to sustainable urban water management has been hampered by the lack of insight into attributes of a sustainable urban water regime. Significant progress has been made in developing technical solutions to advance urban water practice, however it is the co‐evolution of the socio‐institutional and technical systems that enable a system‐wide transition. A systematic analysis of 81 empirical studies across a range of practice areas was undertaken to construct a schema of the sustainable urban water regime attributes. Attributes were identified and analyzed using a framework of nested management regime spheres: the administrative and regulatory system, inter‐organizational, intra‐organizational, and human resources spheres. The regime is likely to involve significant stakeholder involvement, collaborative inter‐organizational relationships, flexible and adaptive organizational cultures, and motivated and engaging employees. Comparison of the constructed sustainable and traditional regime attributes reveals that to realize sustainable urban water management in practice a substantial shift in governance is required. This difference emphasizes the critical need for explicitly supported strategies targeted at developing each management regime sphere to further enable change toward sustainable urban water management.