Conventional Infrastructure Research Articles

Transitional Infrastructures Extending Access to Safe Water in Informal Settlements: A Cross-Sectional Study in Nairobi, Kenya.

There is a pressing need for transitional water infrastructures in rapidly growing cities where conventional infrastructures lag behind human settlement expansion. In Kenya, sectoral innovations have addressed local socioeconomic challenges, but empirical evidence on their efficacy (combining quantitative indicators of safety and continuity) is lacking. We addressed this gap by comparing different water infrastructures in their ability to provide constant access to safe water in informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya. We conducted a cross-sectional survey including 1,147 households in two informal settlements. Water infrastructures were categorized based on their distribution system: 1) piped to premises; 2) piped to a neighboring compound; 3) public tap/dispenser; and 4) street vendor. We tested associations between these systems with two outcomes: constant water availability and diarrhea (stratified by age group). We used adjusted odds ratios (AORs) to test associations between distribution systems and the selected outcomes, while accounting for confounders. Obtaining water from public taps/dispensers or street vendors was associated with service continuity (AOR = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.06-1.99; AOR = 11.16, 95% CI: 2.45-50.82). Piped sources were associated with service disruption, especially when obtained from a neighboring compound (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.28-0.70). Public taps/dispensers were the only system consistently associated with lower odds of diarrhea, notably in children under the age of 5 years (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.29-0.79). Hence, in cities with a high prevalence of informal settlements and limited financial resources, public taps and dispensers hold promise as transitional water infrastructures.

Are there possible issues that we overlook when selecting green infrastructure?

Promoting green infrastructure (GN) as a tool for reducing natural disaster risk is promising, particularly in depopulated areas worldwide. Images of GN as being multifunctional and environment friendly seem to enhance citizens’ positive attitudes toward it. While conventional types of disaster prevention infrastructure, such as concrete levees, can completely prevent damage, GN can relieve the effects of natural hazards. By switching from conventional infrastructure to GN, societies could reduce the costs of disaster prevention infrastructure. However, the risk of disaster damage may increase in some areas. This study aimed to better understand citizens’ preference for GN. It was hypothesized that those who prefer GN are those who do not take the initiative to learn about it and that some citizens are not fully aware of the heterogeneous risks when selecting GN. To test the hypotheses, structural and measurement models, including latent variables, were developed, and structural equation modeling was performed. Data for constructing the measurement and structural equations were obtained using a web questionnaire administered by a professional research company in 2022 with 1,200 participants across Japan. Data from the portal site for the official statistics of Japan (e-Stat) were also used. The results confirm the hypothesis that individuals who favor GN are those who do not proactively seek to acquire knowledge concerning it. The findings highlight the importance of considering, in future policymaking, the possibility that citizens who prefer GN without knowledge about it may face high risks as a result of its uninformed adoption and use.

Nature-based solutions for living systems: Connectivity, complexity, community

Ecofeminist artist and landscape designer Betsy Damon advocates for Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) as more effective, resilient, and economical alternatives to conventional infrastructure projects that try to impose human control over natural systems. NBS embraces nature's self-sustaining tendencies by harnessing natural processes to address environmental challenges. Damon examines case studies of NBS from her own career, including her 1998 Living Water Garden, a water-cleaning park in Chengdu, China. Damon also draws lessons from the reforestation of the Loess Plateau, the Indigenous-led restoration of Washington's Elwha River, and the revival of amaranth cultivation in Central Mexico. These cases reveal key principles behind effective NBS engagements: flexibility, complexity, interconnectedness, and memory. Meanwhile, projects that impose single-purpose design often degrade surrounding ecosystems. Damon critiques the common scientific approach of understanding systems only through isolating variables, arguing that isolated thinking leads to isolated design. She advocates for a shift towards radical interconnectedness. She concludes that because NBS don't place human systems and natural systems into separate, conflicting categories, they strengthen resilience on multiple levels. Damon envisions NBS as inextricable from quality of life, climate justice, and Indigenous sovereignty. Throughout, Damon examines water as the medium of nature's flexibility and resilience, from the ecosystem to the molecular level.

Adapting to climate change through nature-based solutions and indigenous knowledge: the case for landscape-scale ecosystem regeneration in the Rokohouia Delta

ABSTRACT This study explores the potential of nature-based solutions and indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation. It focuses on the Rokohouia Delta located in Aotearoa, New Zealand where Ngāi Tūāhuriri, the Indigenous People of the region, employ strategies deeply rooted in their understanding of the interdependencies between humans and ecosystems, to improve environmental quality. The paper underscores the potential of nature-based solutions (NbS), closely aligned with indigenous ways of thinking, in mitigating hydro-meteorological risks associated with the impacts of climate change. While the study was initially focused on the role of indigenous-informed approaches to NbS on lessening climate change risks, it became apparent that NbS has important potential for cultural revitalisation and decolonisation through the regeneration of mahinga kai (wild food gathering areas), addressing long-held Ngāi Tūāhuriri grievances associated with the destruction of deltaic ecosystems on which it’s culture depends. The findings underscore the potential of NbS in complementing conventional infrastructure (responses/decisions in mitigating hydro-meteorological risks), enhancing social cohesion, and promoting ecological consciousness. The study also concludes that indigenous knowledge can potentially play a crucial role in informing infrastructure choices that integrate nature-based solutions, and thereby facilitate both cultural revitalisation and climate change adaptation.

Life cycle management of natural infrastructure: assessment of state of practice and current tools

Design alternatives for traditional infrastructure are often compared in terms of expected–and often narrowly defined–costs and benefits to justify the selected plan. Taking a broader life cycle perspective in the benefit-cost evaluation process helps account for potentially rare, indirect, or accruing project benefits. Natural infrastructure design alternatives are generally difficult to compare to conventional alternatives due to their distinctly different costs and benefits. Natural infrastructure differs from conventional infrastructure in terms of performance and benefit development over time, lifespan, materials, intensity of intervention needs, and social and environmental benefits. This paper presents a life cycle framework that expands conventional life cycle analysis to capture other important and relevant aspects of natural and conventional infrastructure, enabling a more complete and equitable comparison of project costs and benefits. The framework consists of four dimensions: risk mitigation performance (e.g., traditional benefit of flood risk management), co-benefits, financial costs (life cycle cost analysis), and environmental costs (life cycle assessment). The framework takes current benefit cost analysis practice for both infrastructure types into account, is informed by existing life cycle evaluation methods and tools and is responsive to the unique needs and characteristics of natural infrastructure. Components of this framework have been advanced elsewhere, including in business product management, asset management, building code development, environmental certifications, ecosystem goods and services accounting, and others, but are generally not developed for natural infrastructure. Our proposed framework provides a roadmap for development of supporting resources to conduct life cycle evaluation for natural infrastructure. Systematically grasping the temporal flow of costs and benefits of natural infrastructure, in comparison to conventional flood risk management projects, will be important as societies address vast infrastructure needs in the face of climate change.

A climate report gone missing – power mechanisms in Swedish national transport planning

ABSTRACT While the technological development of vehicles and fuels is not adequate to meet current climate mitigation targets, infrastructure development also plays an important role in transforming the transport system. Previous studies have argued that conventional infrastructure planning is incapable of implementing climate mitigation. The aim of the paper is to provide insights into power means and mechanisms that counteract integration of climate mitigation targets in infrastructure planning. This is done by an in-depth case study of current Swedish national transport planning. This case provides a rich illustration of a situation with high political ambitions regarding climate mitigation on the one hand, and power mechanisms and resistance with regard to climate goals during the planning process on the other. The case is analysed using the perspective of power circuits and shows how forecasting works as an obligatory passage point, sorting in and out which analyses will be part of the decision-making material. Analyses which do not fit the forecasting model are dismissed from planning. The conclusion is that as long as the transport infrastructure planning practice is dependent on forecasting as the only central analysis there will be difficulties in changing the scope of infrastructure planning and making climate goals central for transport planning.

Gorzów Wielkopolski As an Attractive Location for an Innovative River Port Equipped With a Sustainable Energy Security System

The role of inland navigation in the global logistics system is gaining significance. This process is stimulated by policies implemented by major economies and international organizations such as the European Union. The objective is to achieve sustainability in transportation by exploring alternatives to conventional infrastructure. These initiatives also extend to tourism and recreation associated with inland navigation. This article presents the results of an analysis related to the location of a tourist river port, considering optimized benefits and developmental opportunities. An interesting location meeting these criteria, as well as possessing scenic, cultural, ecological, and environmental values, is Gorzów Wielkopolski. In the second part of the article, the authors propose a concept for a sustainable energy system that meets the requirements of port operations and customer demands in an era of rapidly advancing technology and increased emphasis on environmental protection.

Lifecycle Assessment of Two Urban Water Treatment Plants of Pakistan

Water treatment technologies are striving to retain their ecological and economic viability despite the rising demand, conventional infrastructure, financial constraints, fluctuating climatic patterns, and highly stringent regulations. This study evaluates the lifecycle environmental impact of urban water treatment systems within the two densely populated South Asian municipalities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The scope of this study includes a process-based Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the entire water treatment system, particularly the resources and materials consumed during the operation of the treatment plant. The individual and cumulative environmental impact was assessed based on the treatment system data and an in-depth lifecycle inventory analysis. Other than the direct emissions to the environment, the electricity used for service and distribution pumping, coagulant use for floc formation, chlorine gas used for disinfection, and caustic soda used for pH stabilization were the processes identified as the most significant sources of emissions to air and water. The water distribution consumed up to 98% of energy resources. The highest global warming impacts (from 0.3 to 0.6 kg CO2 eq./m3) were assessed as being from the coagulation and distribution processes due to extensive electricity consumption. Direct discharge of the wash and wastewater to the open environment contributed approximately 0.08% of kg-N and 0.002% of kg-P to the eutrophication potential. The outcome of this study resulted in a thorough lifecycle inventory development, including possible alternatives to enhance system sustainability. A definite gap was identified in intermittent sampling at the treatment systems. However, more stringent sampling including the emissions to air can provide a better sustainability score for each unit process.

Reimagining infrastructure for a biodiverse future.

Civil infrastructure will be essential to face the interlinked existential threats of climate change and rising resource demands while ensuring a livable Anthropocene for all. However, conventional infrastructure planning largely neglects the contributions and maintenance of Earth's ecological life support systems, which provide irreplaceable services supporting human well-being. The stability and performance of these services depend on biodiversity, but conventional infrastructure practices, narrowly focused on controlling natural capital, have inadvertently degraded biodiversity while perpetuating social inequities. Here, we envision a new infrastructure paradigm wherein biodiversity and ecosystem services are a central objective of civil engineering. In particular, we reimagine infrastructure practice such that 1) ecosystem integrity and species conservation are explicit objectives from the outset of project planning; 2) infrastructure practices integrate biodiversity into diverse project portfolios along a spectrum from conventional to nature-based solutions and natural habitats; 3) ecosystem functions reinforce and enhance the performance and lifespan of infrastructure assets; and 4) civil engineering promotes environmental justice by counteracting legacies of social inequity in infrastructure development and nature conservation. This vision calls for a fundamental rethinking of the standards, practices, and mission of infrastructure development agencies and a broadening of scope for conservation science. We critically examine the legal and professional precedents for this paradigm shift, as well as the moral and economic imperatives for manifesting equitable infrastructure planning that mainstreams biodiversity and nature's benefits to people. Finally, we set an applied research agenda for supporting this vision and highlight financial, professional, and policy pathways for achieving it.

Asya'nın Karayla Çevrili Gelişmekte Olan Ülkeleri İçin Altyapı Finansmanı Alternatifi Olarak İslami Finans

Various infrastructure financing methods are being used worldwide, each with its own set of advantages and obstacles. Basically, the advantages and disadvantages of a financing method manifest differently depending on each country's economic system, geographical location, economic dependency, political conditions, cultures, and beliefs. Using a funding strategy in one country may be beneficial under certain situations but harmful in another. As a result, the usefulness and efficacy of financing methods should be studied in light of the countries' circumstances. The Asian Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC), which share the same fate in terms of geographical constraints and economic reliance, are grappling with severe infrastructural gaps in all sectors. These countries have an emerging economy, are largely dependent on agriculture, have a poor management structure, are unorganised and have weak financial markets, and rely heavily on their neighbours’ transit routes to interact with the global economy. Some of these countries depend upon foreign assistance, and the lack of transparency and binding nature of this funding has had little impact on developing such countries' infrastructure. As a result, in order to finance their infrastructure projects, these countries must select the most acceptable financing option for their circumstances. The national budget constraint, inadequate local financial markets, the risk of foreign credits, and cultural and religious values in these countries are among the obstacles that contemporary financing methods present. Consequently, looking for alternative financing methods for these countries' infrastructure projects is critical. This paper intends to look at infrastructure financing methods and their challenges in Asian landlocked developing countries and evaluate Islamic finance as an alternative to conventional finance. The qualitative research method is used for this study. Furthermore, document analysis has been utilised as a data collection tool. First, the concepts of Islamic finance will be presented before moving on to the definitions and types of infrastructure. Afterwards, the conventional infrastructure financing methods, along with the shortcomings of these methods in Asian landlocked developing countries, will be discussed. Then the development of Islamic finance in Asian LLDCs will be studied. Finally, how Islamic finance addresses the challenges of conventional finance methods will be perused. The study found that the Islamic finance models, which are founded on the principle of shared income or risk sharing, can be implemented as an alternative to conventional finance in infrastructure financing. Public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives can be implemented effectively within the framework of Islamic financing concepts because the elements of the public-private partnership initiatives are congruent with Islamic finance principles. First of all, public-private partnership initiatives allow for risk sharing among project participants, including financiers. In addition, public-private partnership projects allow Islamic financiers to become project participants rather than just lenders. Following that, PPP infrastructure projects are by definition, free of speculation and gambling. Finally, project contracts are frequently well-specified and free of uncertainty. Besides this, creating financial inclusion and risk sharing in the framework of Islamic finance reduces the currency risk and the cost of financing and causes equitable distribution of wealth in society.

Implementation of mmWave long‐range backhaul for UAV‐BS

AbstractUncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a vital element in nonterrestrial networks, especially with respect to 5G communication systems and beyond. The use of UAVs in support of 4G/5G base station (uncrewed aerial vehicle base station [UAV‐BS]) has proven to be a practical solution for extending cellular network services to areas where conventional infrastructures are unavailable. In this study, we introduce a UAV‐BS system that utilizes a high‐capacity wireless backhaul operating in millimeter‐wave frequency bands. This system can achieve a maximum throughput of 1.3 Gbps while delivering data at a rate of 300 Mbps, even at distances of 10 km. We also present the details of our testbed implementation alongside the performance results obtained from field tests.

Advanced Predictive Tile Selection Using Dynamic Tiling for Prioritized 360° Video VR Streaming

The widespread availability of smart computing and display devices such as mobile phones, gaming consoles, laptops, and tethered/untethered head-mounted displays has fueled an increase in demand for omnidirectional (360°) videos. 360° video applications enable users to change their viewing angles while interacting with the video during playback. This allows users to have a more personalized and interactive viewing experience. Unfortunately, these applications require substantial network and computational resources that the conventional infrastructure and end devices cannot support. Recently proposed viewport adaptive fixed tiling solutions stream only relevant video tiles based on user interaction with the virtual reality (VR) space to use existing transmission resources more efficiently. However, achieving real-time accurate viewport extraction and transmission in response to both head movements and bandwidth dynamics can be challenging, which can impact the user’s Quality of Experience (QoE). This article proposes innovative dynamic tiling-based adaptive 360° video streaming solutions in order to achieve high viewer QoE. First, novel and easy-to-scale tiling layout selection methods are introduced, and the best tiling layouts are employed in each adaptation interval based on the prediction-assisted visual quality metric and the observed viewport divergence. Second, a novel proactive tile selection approach is presented, which adaptively extracts tiles for each selected tiling layout based on two low-complex viewport prediction mechanisms. Finally, a practical dynamic tile priority-oriented bitrate adaptation scheme is introduced, which uniformly distributes the bitrate budget among different tiles during 360° video streaming. Extensive trace-driven experiments are conducted to evaluate the proposed solutions using head motion traces from 48 VR users for five 360° videos with tiling layouts of 4 × 3, 6 × 4, and 8 × 6 and segment durations of 1s, 1.5s, and 2s. The experimental evaluations show that the dynamic video tiling solutions achieve up to 11.2% more viewport matches and an average improvement in QoE of 9.7% to 18% compared to state-of-the-art 360° streaming approaches.

Do it yourself: fabricating and evaluating a mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) blood-feeding device to replace a commercial option.

Tools for rearing hematophagous insects, such as mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), in an insectary are essential for research and operational evaluations in vector biology and control. There is an abundance of low-cost options for practitioners without conventional infrastructure. However, few midrange options exist that provide a balance of efficiency and low material waste. We present here a reproducible design for an electrically powered blood-feeding device that offers long-term reusability, low material waste, and customizability for different species or experiments. The limitation is the requirement for electricity, but the gain is a simple, low-skill device that can be modified as needed. To validate the design, assessments of feeding angle and blood-feeding success were compared between the Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District artificial membrane feeder (SLAM) and a commercial system (Hemotek). Engorgement in Aedes aegypti (80-90%), Culex pipiens (50-80%), and Culex tarsalis (30-75%) was similar between the 2 units, resulting in nearly identical fecundity outcomes between devices. Additionally, 45° angles were more successful, generally, than presenting the feeders flat or vertical to the mosquitoes (df3,48, P = 1.014 × 10-15). This angle is simple to present with the SLAM device. Materials for in-house reproduction of the SLAM system are now widely available in regions with access to e-commerce and shipped goods. This results in a device schematic that should fit well into a relatively modular, do-it-yourself paradigm where the practitioner needs only to assemble some materials without complex engineering. This article provides schematics, cost comparison, and validation of the in-house-made SLAM system.

Estimation of unmeasured structural responses of submerged floating tunnels using pattern model trained via long short-term memory

Structural conditions are typically investigated using a significant amount of structural response data. Compared with conventional infrastructures such as long-span bridges, submerged floating tunnels in deep-water offshore fields are restrictive in terms of sensor installation and data acquisition owing to their structural and environmental characteristics. Hence, we propose an effective method for estimating unmeasured structural responses using a structural-pattern model. The pattern model, which is used to estimate the responses, is established by a deep learning algorithm using structural response data obtained via hydrodynamics-based simulation. The proposed method is validated numerically. For the deep learning algorithm, long short-term memory (LSTM) is used to reflect the sequential characteristics of the structural behavior. In this study, we establish the input, hidden, and output layers of the LSTM. Additionally, we specify the tether tension and bending moments of the tunnel as responses that should be estimated and the acceleration as the response that could be measured. The proposed method is evaluated based on structural behaviors under various waves with different wave directions, heights, and periods. The result shows that the proposed method can precisely estimate the tether tension and bending moment of the tunnels using only the tunnel acceleration. In particular, the method can effectively estimate the responses under various directional waves without requiring wave information in advance.

Data Privacy using Multi-Keyword Search and Coordinate Matching over Encrypted Documents

Abstract: With cloud computing, businesses have access to notjust data storage but also to networks and computers. Most cloud service providers operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, which means that their customers no longer have to invest much in infrastructure to take use of their services. As these services are not hosted on the company’s local network, they are far simpler to administer and implement than more conventional infrastructure options. Cloud computing’s appeal stems from these aspects, explaining its ever- increasing popularity. The benefits of storing information and programs on the cloud outweigh the disadvantages. As such, it raises issues that must be addressed head-on to guarantee a safe cloud computing setting. With more and more sensitive information being stored on the cloud at present, there are growing privacy and security issues about this information. The data is encrypted before being saved in the cloud to avoid this problem. An effective search methodis also required since the quantity of data typically kept is quite large. The two most important components of cloud computing that we cover here are encryption and searching. We propose a multi-keyword search method to search through encrypted clouddata in addition to a safe and efficient encryption technique for the data and queries stored in the cloud.

The Effectiveness of Sukuk Ijarah in Educational Financing in Osun State, Nigeria: Lesson to other States

The current conventional infrastructure financing in Nigeria has caused negative effect to the country education and economy, resulted to high level of liquidity, reckless lending, high level of corruption, lack of accountability and transparency and many others. Some African countries have already started tapping in to Sukuk market to support their infrastructure financing deficit, among others are South Africa, Senegal, morocco, Nigeria, cotevoire, Sudan, Kenya etc. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to draw some lesson from Osun state Sukuk Ijarah to other states. This research model uses thematic analysis to analyze the data collected through the interview using focus coding techniques. The result of the study depict out that lesson can be derived from Osun state Sukuk Ijarah to other states. The study concludes that lesson can be derived from Osun state Sukuk to other state. The study also recommends that there is great need for awareness to the investors in the market and the entire citizen in the country by arranging a kind of seminars, workshop and conferences to enlighten investors and general public about the Sukuk instrument and great need to initiate a legal rule that will give way to ownership and taxation, doing this will attract foreign investors to come and invest in Sukuk and also other states may tap in to the market.

Technology-enabled financing of sustainable infrastructure: A case for blockchains and decentralized oracle networks

The capital required to maintain infrastructure in good repair falls short globally. This is commonly referred to as the “infrastructure finance gap”. To address climate change, transitioning from conventional to sustainable infrastructure further imposes financing challenges. This study employs the Model approach to justify and predict how blockchain technologies can leverage infrastructure data to close the finance gap by introducing new financing mechanisms. A semisystematic literature review was carried out for infrastructure finance, sustainable infrastructure and smart cities finance mechanisms, as well as blockchains and oracles. Conventional infrastructure finance via debt and equity lacks benchmarks that reflect the risk-return characteristics of the asset class. Performance-based financing addresses this issue by integrating performance data in valuations. However, a lack of trust in data veracity remains. Blockchains provide trust and transparency in data and transactions. They utilize oracles to access off-chain information for on-chain decision-making. With smart contracts and decentralized oracle networks, a general approach is presented where data from internet-of-things inform on-chain transactions, delivering performance benchmarks that accurately reflect the risk-return characteristics in an infrastructure investment. Capital can then be more readily deployed, thus closing the finance gap. An end-to-end example of financing sustainable stormwater infrastructure, Open Storm, is also presented.

Green Buildings as a Necessity for Sustainable Environment Development: Dilemmas and Challenges

Sustainable development encompasses numerous development goals and strategies, with green buildings (GBs) being among the implementations of this concept. The development of GBs is a topic of increasing interest due to the massive development of conventional infrastructure that has the major limitation of environmental degradation, a fact also proven by the research of the scientific literature, with publications in the field enhancing in recent times. Even if strategies applying the GBs concept have many advantages, the public acceptance is not so high due to technologies that still need to be optimized, the relatively low return on investment, and the limited dissemination of information about this concept. Therefore, the manuscript provides a comprehensive assessment in a distinctive way of GBs in the context of sustainable development, clarifying notions and principles of application while integrating green materials and circular economy into the general scientific framework provided. Moreover, a score has been proposed which is assigned to the different types of buildings described, based on the assessment of several specific parameters. This paper provides stakeholders, from designers to occupiers, with a coherent overview of the GB concept and its beneficial role for future generations in order to develop this field by increasing the dissemination of scientific information based on a technical-engineering perspective.

A review of 100% renewable energy scenarios on islands

AbstractGlobally, more than 740 million people live on islands which are often seen as ideal environments for the development of renewable energy systems. Hereby, they play the role to demonstrate technical solutions as well as political transition pathways of energy systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The growing number of articles on 100% renewable energy systems on islands is analyzed with a focus on technical solutions for transition pathways. Since the first “100% renewable energy systems on islands”‐article in a scientific journal in 2004, 97 articles handling 100% renewable energy systems on small islands were published and are reviewed in this article. In addition, a review on 100% renewable energy systems on bigger island states is added. Results underline that solar PV as well as wind are the main technologies regarding 100% RES on islands. Not only for the use of biomass but for all RES area limitation on islands needs to be taken more seriously, based on full energy system studies and respective area demand. Furthermore, it is shown that there is still not the same common sense in the design approach including and starting at the energy needs as well as on multi‐sectoral approach. The consideration of maritime transport, aviation, cooling demands, and water systems beyond seawater desalination is only poorly considered in existing studies. Future research should also focus on developing pathways to transform the existing conventional infrastructure stepwise into a fully renewable system regarding also the interconnections with the mainland and neighboring islands.This article is categorized under: Policy and Economics > Green Economics and Financing Energy Systems Economics > Economics and Policy Energy Systems Analysis > Economics and Policy Energy Systems Analysis > Systems and Infrastructure

Guest Editorial. Water Supply and Wastewater Management in Modern and Smart Cities

Water is the basis of modern societies. However, population growth and rapid urbanization on the one hand, and anthropogenic activities, on the other hand, have considerably contributed to the scarcity of clean water resources. Hence, modern and smart cities have to develop sustainable tools and technologies for providing clean water resources and treat the generated effluents from the various industrial and non-industrial origins to satisfy the sustainability and circular economy goals. In this regard, a wide range of interdisciplinary knowledge is needed to investigate various aspects including site selection and designing modern (waste)water treatment facilities. Therefore, studies are welcome to design modern and smart cities or to modify the conventional infrastructures in the existing urban areas.