Stemming the flow of urban water challenges

Researchers from Monash University’s Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CWSC) are taking the lead in a research project that aims to revolutionise water management in Australia.

Australia’s existing water services and planning processes are poorly equipped to support projected population growth and slow to respond to economic or climatic uncertainty. This means urban water is now one of the country’s grand challenges and highlights the importance of the research.

The project will be supported by a $30 million grant awarded in the latest round of the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) program. In collaboration with 70 research, industry and government partners, the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRC-WSC) will be established in July 2012 with research nodes at Monash University, the University of Western Australia, and University of Queensland and in Singapore.

The goal of the CRC-WSC is ambitious: to deliver the socio-technical urban water management solutions, education and training programs, and industry engagement required to make Australian towns and cities water sensitive. 

Water sensitive cities are defined as resilient, liveable, productive and sustainable. They efficiently use the diversity of water resources available to them; enhance and protect the health of waterways and wetlands; and mitigate against flood risk and damage. They also create public spaces that harvest, clean and recycle water, increase biodiversity and reduce urban heat island effects.

Professor Tony Wong, Director of the Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, and the nominated CEO of the CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, said that the output of the CRC-WSC will guide capital investments of more than $100 billion by the Australian water sector and more than $550 billion of private sector investment in urban development over the next 15 years.

“The challenge is that there is not just one problem we have to find a solution for, but many – there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. Our coalition of researchers, government and industry stakeholders has identified 21 high-priority projects requiring investigation,” Professor Wong said.

“That challenge would require an interdisciplinary approach across the social sciences and humanities, bio-physical sciences and engineering and technologies, with the integrative discipline being urban planning and design.

“We see our industry and government partners as critical to our research as their assistance will ensure the implementation of our projects,” Professor Tony Wong said.

The CRC research program development was built on a number of successful interdisciplinary research projects undertaken at Monash University’s CWSC. Established in February 2010, the centre provides an integrative platform in which Monash researchers can work together to solve real world problems.

Starting with a focus on the social and biophysical sciences of urban water management, integrative research projects have now expanded to include urban climatology, climate change science, environmental economics, urban planning and design.

“CWSC understands the importance of developing water sensitive cities which will provide aesthetic, economic, health, social, productivity, sustainability and environmental benefits,” Professor Wong said.

“They would be designed to make the transition to a more cost-effective, resilient and sustainable future.”

Information on the Centre for Water Sensitive Cities can be found on the CWSC website.

Information on the CRC award program is available on their website.