Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara
Mexico is currently facing important water management challenges. Cities in the country are facing water scarcity and at the same time they struggle with floods during the raining season. The water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approach has proved to be helpful around the world in tackling urban wat...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-02-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/5/601 |
| _version_ | 1797395228954460160 |
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| author | Jose Arturo Gleason Cesar Casiano Flores |
| author_facet | Jose Arturo Gleason Cesar Casiano Flores |
| author_sort | Jose Arturo Gleason |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mexico is currently facing important water management challenges. Cities in the country are facing water scarcity and at the same time they struggle with floods during the raining season. The water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approach has proved to be helpful around the world in tackling urban water challenges such as floods or water scarcity. The WSUD approach highlights the role of both the water cycle and the water utilities systems, when transitioning towards a water sensitive stage. Therefore, the objective of this research is to demonstrate the relevance for cities of a WSUD approach by analyzing the current situation of the water cycle and the water utility in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG). This research proposes a case study approach. Within our case of study, we focused on the water cycle and the water utilities system (Sistema Intermunicipal de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (SIAPA)) and ask two questions: (1) What are the causes of water scarcity and flooding in the MAG? and (2) What are the proposals to solve these problems under a WSUD approach? By answering these questions, we identified that the water management in the MAG corresponds to a single purpose infrastructure. This type of water management is common in developing cities and does not contribute to solve the problems of water scarcity and floods. The water supply policy is based only on the construction of large dams disregarding the storage and use of rainwater, and reuse of greywater, and water-conservation devices. In order to transition towards a water sensitive stage, changes in the water policy need to take place and a WSUD approach that includes multi-purpose infrastructure, should be considered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:32:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-59f2221cd93d47f8afd0cade3982de29 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T00:32:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-59f2221cd93d47f8afd0cade3982de292023-12-11T18:27:06ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-02-0113560110.3390/w13050601Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of GuadalajaraJose Arturo Gleason0Cesar Casiano Flores1Department of Techniques for Construction, University Centre for the Arts, Architecture and Design, University of Guadalajara, 44250 Guadalajara, MexicoPublic Governance Institute, Parkstraat 45—box 3609, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, BelgiumMexico is currently facing important water management challenges. Cities in the country are facing water scarcity and at the same time they struggle with floods during the raining season. The water sensitive urban design (WSUD) approach has proved to be helpful around the world in tackling urban water challenges such as floods or water scarcity. The WSUD approach highlights the role of both the water cycle and the water utilities systems, when transitioning towards a water sensitive stage. Therefore, the objective of this research is to demonstrate the relevance for cities of a WSUD approach by analyzing the current situation of the water cycle and the water utility in the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara (MAG). This research proposes a case study approach. Within our case of study, we focused on the water cycle and the water utilities system (Sistema Intermunicipal de los Servicios de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (SIAPA)) and ask two questions: (1) What are the causes of water scarcity and flooding in the MAG? and (2) What are the proposals to solve these problems under a WSUD approach? By answering these questions, we identified that the water management in the MAG corresponds to a single purpose infrastructure. This type of water management is common in developing cities and does not contribute to solve the problems of water scarcity and floods. The water supply policy is based only on the construction of large dams disregarding the storage and use of rainwater, and reuse of greywater, and water-conservation devices. In order to transition towards a water sensitive stage, changes in the water policy need to take place and a WSUD approach that includes multi-purpose infrastructure, should be considered.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/5/601water sensitive urban designwater sensitive city, water cyclewater utilitieswater scarcityflooding |
| spellingShingle | Jose Arturo Gleason Cesar Casiano Flores Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara Water water sensitive urban design water sensitive city, water cycle water utilities water scarcity flooding |
| title | Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara |
| title_full | Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara |
| title_fullStr | Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara |
| title_short | Challenges of Water Sensitive Cities in Mexico: The Case of the Metropolitan Area of Guadalajara |
| title_sort | challenges of water sensitive cities in mexico the case of the metropolitan area of guadalajara |
| topic | water sensitive urban design water sensitive city, water cycle water utilities water scarcity flooding |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/5/601 |
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