The Dutch Sandmoter is building extra protection for the British coastline. Building with nature is the intention of the Sandmotor.
Since 2011, an artificial sandbank has been lying near the coast Holland. It naturally feeds the beaches and dunes with new sand and thus keeps it safe. Another sandmotor is rising near the British coast.It is the first time that the Dutch sand engine concept has been applied elsewhere. Read More
There was some historic rainfall and flooding through the United States in 2018. At a glance, historic events (1,000-year rainfall events), have occurred at least five times this year across the country!
These have lasted for at least 24-hour periods, but some have lasted for longer. According to weather.com, here are five notable, long-duration, high-impact rainfall events that happened this year. Read More
Construction of the Rainshell concept and its filter bed of shells and minerals to retain and simultaneously clean the runoff water.
Last week, VP Delta opened a living lab facility for new storm water catchment concepts for a more smart way to handle storm water in cities.
As a result of the expected increase of extreme rainfall events, several Dutch SME-companies developed innovative concepts to handle extreme volumes of storm water and store in underneath hardened urban surface. Read More
Robert Brears, Author of Urban Water Security (Wiley) presented a selection of results on best practices in water management from around the world. We share the best practices Robert collected.
Smart water meters are key to intelligent decision-making
With rapid urbanization and climate change increasing water scarcity, cities and their respective water utilities are turning to smart meters and related technologies to manage water more efficiently. Read more here.
NYC’s Big Water Savings Goal
New York City’s demand for drinking water is at its lowest in 50 years even though the city’s population has reached a record high of over 8.6 million people. Not resting on its laurels, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has released the 2018 Water Demand Management Plan to realize further savings. Read more here
Fit for Purpose Recycled Water in Australia
Water recycling makes non-potable wastewater useful, reducing the economic and environmental costs of establishing new water supplies. Read how Australia’s Queensland Urban Utilities provides fit for purpose recycled water to its customers. Read more here.
The Water-Energy Nexus in Athens
Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP) is the largest water utility in Greece providing services to 4.3 million customers. Read how EYDAP is reducing water-energy nexus pressures here.
Severe drought threatens to run taps dry in Cape Town
How did Cape Town deal with its “Day Zero” water crisis and what can we learn? Intense drought in South Africa’s Western Cape Province has led the world-renowned city of Cape Town to the brink of “Day Zero”. Day Zero was the date at which residents would be forced to collect strictly rationed water supplies from shared distribution taps. Read More
Pakistani practice a pilot field with Salt Farm Texel
Salt Farm Texel (Netherlands) introduces ‘zero water’ vegetables in drought stricken South Africa.
The Texel initiative, known as S/Zout, features food products that emerge from a collaboration between Studio H and Salt Farm Texel, a Netherlands-based enterprise that grows salt-tolerant potatoes, carrots, onions, lettuce, cabbage and barley. Read More
Damage of water flood in Alexandria after heavy rainfall
A new approach, the Anticipatory Flood Management (AFMA), will be used to make the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria better prepared for severe flooding.
Dutch-based educational institute IHE Delft will lead a project.
The project will serve as an example for many other cities in the Arab region to make the switch from responding to anticipating to a disastrous flood. Read More
According to climate researchers, more rain than snow will fall in the Arctic. Moreover, oceans are getting hotter, and they’re also losing oxygen
According to climate researchers in the Netherlands, at the end of this century more rain than snow will fall in the Arctic. It was already known that, due to global warming, up to 60% more precipitation would fall in the Arctic.
The researchers now argue that it mainly involves rain, while scientists always presuppose the precipitation would be snow. Read More
Pakistan is already vulnerable because of the different ethnic groups and religions. Also the country is one of world’s 36 most water-stressed countries and the situation gets worse. A civil war is not inconceivable
Scarcity of fresh water is the biggest world problem according to the Nature Conservancy. A lot of cities suffer under water stress.
A quarter of the planet will experience severe water shortages one month per year by 2030.
The Nature Conservancy is working on a variety of strategies to protect water at its source, increase water efficiencies, and engage corporate and municipal leaders, governments, urban residents and other institutions in watershed stewardship. They offer 3 strategies Read More
The port city’s historic fish market, which lies directly on the harbour, was filled with knee-deep water, while cars and busses driving along the water front flooded through the high tides.
Flooded streets and basements, cars underwater, dams overwhelmed – storm Axel brought great damage to parts of the Baltic coast in Germany last Wednesday.
The northern states of Germany had to survive a hurricane force storm; the worst flooding in eleven years.
Sundrop Farms: The company that’s growing food in the desert. Complete circular and green
This tomato farm in Australia is the first agricultural facility of it’s kind, combining solar power with desalination and countering the requirement for fresh water and fossil fuels.
The firm celebrated its grand opening in Port Augusta, South Australia, last Thursday.
The US President has declared a federal disaster for the storms and floods that struck 8 counties of Iowa during late August 2016.
Storming Water costs lives and a lot of money. Last winter, more than 15,000 homes and businesses in just eight council areas in the USA were flooded, a survey has revealed.
In October, the US President has declared a federal disaster for storming water and floods that struck 8 countries during late August 2016
The research for the Local Government Association found that councils were still helping flood-hit homes recover.
Councils are encouraging people to check if they are at risk of flooding this year, to sign up to flood warnings and make sure their homes are prepared. Read More
Even if global warming is capped at 2C, 20% of the world’s population will have to migrate away from coasts swamped by rising oceans.
Even if global warming is capped at governments’ target of 2C, 20% of the world’s population will be to migrate to higher area’s because of rising sea levels.
Countries like the Netherlands and Bangladesh and cities including New York, London, Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Calcutta, Jakarta and Shanghai would all be submerged because of melting polar ice caps and sea-level rise. Read More
SF doesn’t know which neighborhoods will be worst hit after a given storm, but they do know sea levels are rising, and that with climate change, those hurricanes off Mexico’s Pacific Coast could come north some day. They don’t know when or how severe, but we could get a 25 foot storm surge at some point.
In San Francisco (SF), where the waterfront has been a political battleground for decades, sea-level rise is too easy to ignore.
While SF is less vulnerable to rising sea levels than other parts of the Bay Area, portions of areas bordering the bay would be at risk.
The challenge is to accommodate the bay’s impending expansion as it rises because of our warming planet. And to accomplish that in a way that won’t put our human and environmental resources at risk. Read More
The next days, the water level in the rivers Rhine, Waal and IJssel, will reach maybe the highest level ever in summer times
Will we keep our feet dry? Rivers are rising fast!
Since May 31th, it’s awfully raining in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. It looks like the monsoons we know from South East Asia.
The next days, the water level in the rivers Rhine, Waal and IJssel, will reach maybe the highest level ever in summer times. A water level of more than 14 meters above sea level is not usual for this time of year. Read More
Hut’s research showed that data from temperature-sensing waders worn by the public and shared with scientists, can be used to decide where the most interesting places are to do more detailed and more expensive research.
A flooding costs billions.
Scientists can predict a flooding or droughts using sensors in a river or ditch. With the new sensing pair of waders, fishermen around the world, help scientists.
Porous concrete on roads means: less traffic noise and the end of splashing water and aquaplaning
In Europe we know this permeable or porous concrete saves may lives during the year. Why? Because the road stays dry, even with stormy weather. And we will face an increasing lot of storms the upcoming years.
A lot of countries don’t invest in permeable concrete. But maybe this system will change their minds.
Porous
Porous concrete on roads means: less traffic noise and the end of splashing water and aquaplaning
The average motorist appreciates the comfort of the porous coating. But there are also disadvantages:
higher costs for construction
less skid resistance of the road surface immediately after installation
From 1950 to 1980 the number of people living in favelas in Rio de Janeiro alone increased from about 170,000 to more than 600,000, and by the early 21st century it was estimated that there were as many as 1,000 favelas there.
Given the rate of change, our world will be a very different place by 2040. More and more people are moving to cities.
How will billions of city-dwellers access what they need without putting intolerable strains on the planet?
How can we plan now for more sustainable ways of life in a radically different world?
In this post you will find six advices for megacities (a population in excess of 10 million people) Read More
Robert Brears, Author of Urban Water Security (Wiley) presented a selection of results on best practices in water management from around the world. We share the best practices Robert collected.
