Parameters for Quantitative Evaluation of Non-structured Sustainable Strategies for the Management of Water in Urban Area

Abstract

Rapid urbanization has led to the changes in the natural water systems in the urban areas resulting in problems related to management of water in urban areas such as flooding, droughts, ground water depletion, conservation of water bodies and waste water management. The global water crises states that only 2/3rd of the people have access to safe water. In India, the growing demand and the rapid urbanization makes India most vulnerable to the risk of water crises in the near future. This study aims to manage water in urban areas using non-structured water sensitive urban design strategies and evaluation of the effectiveness of the proposed strategies. A design set of water management strategies on building, neighborhood and community level has been studied where water management techniques become a part of the urban design to form a sustainable water management system. The identification of a set of water management strategies and the study of their design implications are proposed to address the problems. Further evaluation of their effectiveness is based on the parameters identified for different tools individually to achieve the needs for management of water. Strategies such as green roof, bio-retention, swales, watershed, rainwater harvesting techniques, implemented along with their design implications, are mapped based on the main functionality of the tool as to which problem it addresses in relation to urban design at different scales. The paper focuses on techniques for successful integration of sustainable water management strategies with architecture and urban design.