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The Coming Global Urbanization: What it Means for Freshwater Provision
Author(s) -
McDonald Robert
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.2011.tb11537.x
Subject(s) - urbanization , climate change , gray (unit) , environmental planning , water quality , developing country , natural resource economics , geography , environmental resource management , economic growth , environmental science , economics , ecology , medicine , biology , radiology
This article discusses a pair of recent scientific studies that show in stark relief the depth of the challenge of urban water provision in the rapidly urbanizing developing world. Data from a recent Journal AWWA article published by the author is used for considering the implications for water availability of demographic growth and climate change. Another study published by the author this year discovered that even more cities are affected by water quality problems than those affected by demographic growth and climate change. This article suggests two solutions by which cities can deal with these challenges: develop new sources of water, known as the classic “gray” infrastructure solution; and, supplement with “green” solutions that make wiser use of existing water.