Routledge Urban Water Sustainability: Constructing Infrastructure for Cities and Nature (Earthscan Studies in Water Resource Management)

The provision of a safe and reliable water supply is a major challenge for the world's growing urban populations. This book investigates the implications of different developments in water technology and infrastructure for urban sustainability and the relationship between cities and nature. The book begins by outlining five frameworks for analysing water technologies and systems - sustainable development, ecological modernisation, socio-technical systems, political ecology and radical ecology. It then analyses in detail what the sustainability implications are of different technical developments in water systems, specifically: demand management, sanitation, urban drainage, water reuse and desalination. The main purpose of the book is to draw out the social, political and ethical implications of technical changes that are occurring in urban water systems around the world, with positive and negative impacts on sustainability. Distinguished from existing social science analysis due to its attention to the engineering details of the technology, this book will be of use to a wide audience, including students on water management courses, engineering students and researchers, urban geographers and planners interested in sustainability, infrastructure and critical ecology. Review "Recommended - The sustainable management of water in cities and towns is of utmost importance, particularly as large amounts of potable water can be lost due to leaks in the pipe distribution system. Urban Water Sustainability provides a much-needed framework for discussion of the role of technology in urban water sustainability. A very relevant book on the limits of technology to solve our urban water problems." - E. Gomezdelcampo, Bowling Green State University - in CHOICE (Nov 2018) "This book presents a broad overview of the water technologies and systems currently in use in the provision of sustainable water infrastructure for cities. [It] is an admirable endeavour in presenting current technical systems through the lenses of social and ecological theories. It highlights, in the context of urban water services provision, the importance of the continued efforts in city-building with sustainable infrastructure, and the implications and consequences of the choices and alternatives in their social, ecological and technological contexts." - Tommy Kevin Lee in International Journal of Water Resources Development (Aug 2018) About the Author Sarah Bell is Professor of Environmental Engineering and EPSRC Living with Environmental Change Research Fellow in the Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources at UCL, UK. She is also Director of the Engineering Exchange, which serves to improve community engagement with engineering and built environment research. She is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.