The challenges of water,waste and climate change in cities

Cities play a prominent role in our economic development as more than 80 % of the gross world product (GWP) comes from cities. Only 600 urban areas with just 20 % of the world population generate 60 % of the GWP. Rapid urbanization, climate change, inadequate maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructures and poor solid waste management may lead to flooding, water scarcity, water pollution, adverse health effects and rehabilitation costs that may overwhelm the resilience of cities. These megatrends pose urgent challenges in cities as the cost of inaction is high. We present an overview about population growth, urbanization, water, waste, climate change, water governance and transitions. Against this background, we discuss the categorization of cities based on our baseline assessments, i.e. our City Blueprint research on 45 municipalities and regions predominantly in Europe. With this bias towards Europe in mind, the challenges can be discussed globally by clustering cities into distinct categories of sustainability and by providing additional data and information from global regions. We distinguish five categories of sustainability: (1) cities lacking basic water services, (2) wasteful cities, (3) water-efficient cities, (4) resource-efficient and adaptive cities and (5) water-wise cities. Many cities in Western Europe belong to categories 3 and 4. Some cities in Eastern Europe and the few cities we have assessed in Latin America, Asia and Africa can be categorized as cities lacking basic water services. Lack of water infrastructures or obsolete infrastructures, solid waste management and climate adaptation are priorities. It is concluded that cities require a long-term framing of their sectoral challenges into a proactive and coherent Urban Agenda to maximize the co-benefits of adaptation and to minimize the cost. Furthermore, regional platforms of cities are needed to enhance city-to-city learning and to improve governance capacities necessary to accelerate effective and efficient transitions towards water-wise cities. These learning alliances are needed as the time window to solve the global water governance crisis is narrow and rapidly closing. The water sector can play an important role but needs to reframe and refocus radically.     

关于旅游城市化问题的初步探讨——以长江三角洲都市连绵区为例

城市化发展的动力带动 ,城市旅游资源的富集 ,人口、经济的集聚与扩散 ,旅游供需关系的结合 ,旅游者对城市旅游目的地的选择行为 ,政策的导向 ,旅游业的发展和交通设施的完善等因素 ,导致了旅游城市化现象的产生。以长江三角洲都市连绵区为例 ,分析了旅游城市化进程中还存在发展思路不明 ,破坏旅游景观和生态环境 ,旅游规划与城市规划、城市发展不相适应 ,人口管理比较混乱 ,用地功能分区不明显 ,土地资源浪费严重等问题。提出了旅游城市化的发展对策     

北京市城市生活垃圾收运系统研究

对北京市城市生活垃圾收运系统现状进行了全面的分析,对北京城八区生活垃圾收集、分类收集、转运、生活垃圾处理设施和垃圾物流现状进行了分析,同时对北京市城市生活垃圾收运系统进行了分析,指出了北京市城市生活垃圾收运系统存在的主要问题和今后改进的建议及处理处置设施的规划,为北京城市生活垃圾收运系统的建设和完善起到了积极地推动作用。     

Conditions for the development of anaerobic digestion technologies using the organic fraction of municipal solid waste: perspectives for Poland

This article outlines problems related to the location of facilities designed to treat the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW). Anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities are investigated as a treatment option, while taking into account the aspects of renewable energy generation. This research has been spurred on by the relationship between waste management, energy generation issues and spatial planning procedures. The analysis is focused on urban and semi-urban areas of medium and large cities. One of the most difficult issues associated with siting of waste processing plants is its integration with local infrastructures, avoiding conflicts and negative environmental impacts at the same time. This research aims to analyse possible locations for AD plants fuelled by OFMSW in Poland. Based on the experience gained from other countries and lessons learnt from the analysis of existing facilities in Europe, conditions for the location of this type of waste treatment plants have been defined, with the focus on economic, environmental and social issues. Most likely, the results of the multicriteria decision analysis for siting of municipal solid waste AD plants (M-BIST tool) could be transferred to other countries, especially those with a comparable GDP level and a similar framework for a waste management system.     

Identifying municipal solid waste management opportunities in Al-Bayda City,Libya

In Libya, municipal solid waste management is one of the services provided by the authorities to keep the county clean. This study was conducted in the City of Al-Bayda, located in the eastern part of Libya, as there have been several major problems facing the city in dealing with solid waste management. One of these problems is the generation, collection, handling, transportation, recycling, and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study has identified that the ongoing disposal of MSW to poorly engineered “dump sites” on the outskirts of the city is unsustainable and will not meet the demands of the growing population and increasing urbanization currently experienced within Al-Bayda. Factors impacting the decision-making and operational processes of MSW include lack of resources and services that significantly affect the disposal of waste, an inadequate number of waste collection containers making the distance to these containers for many households excessive, and thus leading to an increasing likelihood of dumping solid waste in open areas and roadsides. The study recommends that the city government of Al-Bayda should identify synergies and increase partnership-working arrangements with the private sector to ensure efficient management of MSW within the city area.     

Hazardous waste, impact on health and environment for development of better waste management strategies in future in India

Industry has become an essential part of modern society, and waste production is an inevitable outcome of the developmental activities. A material becomes waste when it is discarded without expecting to be compensated for its inherent value. These wastes may pose a potential hazard to the human health or the environment (soil, air, water) when improperly treated, stored, transported or disposed off or managed. Currently in India even though hazardous wastes, emanations and effluents are regulated, solid wastes often are disposed off indiscriminately posing health and environmental risk. In view of this, management of hazardous wastes including their disposal in environment friendly and economically viable way is very important and therefore suggestions are made for developing better strategies. Out of the various categories of the wastes, solid waste contributes a major share towards environmental degradation. The present paper outlines the nature of the wastes, waste generating industries, waste characterization, health and environmental implications of wastes management practices, steps towards planning, design and development of models for effective hazardous waste management, treatment, approaches and regulations for disposal of hazardous waste. Appraisal of the whole situation with reference to Indian scenario is attempted so that a better cost-effective strategies for waste management be evolved in future.     

Analysis of cost–benefit in life-cycle of plastic solid waste: combining waste flow analysis and life cycle cost as a decision support tool to the selection of optimum scenario

Millions of tons of plastic are consumed annually in the world due to its significant characteristics such as durability, flexibility, and low weight. High consumption has made plastic one of the most important municipal solid waste compounds, the quantity of which has increased in recent decades. Plastic solid wastes are known as a threat to the environment, and its efficient management in various aspects such as cost–benefit requires decision-making tools. This study was assessing the cost–benefit of plastic solid waste management by development of an economic model, and definition of different scenarios to change plastic solid waste management status. The results showed that 8971 tons of plastic solid waste were generated annually in the studied city. The plastic solid wastes were finally transferred to either recycling or landfilling site through 5 identified routes. 83 percent of the total recycled plastic solid waste was due to post-separation routes, and only 7.7 percent of the total plastic solid waste was recycled from the source separation route. The economic comparison of scenarios showed that with the aggregation of post-separation routes, the net revenue of plastic solid waste management increases by 334,000 euro per year while increasing the public participation and the ratio of source separation route raises net revenue by 875,000 euro per year, which was the best economic condition among the scenarios. Using life cycle cost method and it’s respected developed economic model truly satisfied the conditions of both, the current plastic solid waste management and the alternative scenarios, and hence can be adopted as a tool for decision-making.

     

Recovery and recycling of post-consumer waste materials. Part 1. Generalities and target wastes (paper,cardboard and aluminium cans)

Recycling of post-consumer waste materials is gaining increased interest due to public awareness, legislative promotion and imposition, economic benefits and appropriate technologies being available. The present paper does not deal with municipal solid waste as such, but only with the recyclable constituents. The paper does not aim at presenting recycling process details and/or fundamental research results, but reviews the major recyclables with their reuse potential, recycling technologies used, problems, solutions and potential areas of future research and development. These target recyclables include paper and cardboard, aluminium cans, glass beverage bottles, scrap metal and steel cans, scrap tyres, batteries and household hazardous waste. The present paper sets the overall picture and deals with paper, cardboard and aluminium cans only. A second part of the paper assesses the other target recyclables. The assessment of the waste availability, the existing and currently developed recovery and recycling technologies, and the economically rewarding markets while recycling, stress the technical, economic and environmental importance of this waste management sector. The activities associated with the recovery and recycling of post-consumer wastes require a strong sustainable engineering input at all phases of the treatment, from input quality control, to the selection of the most appropriate technology and the delivery of the recyclables as readily reusable feedstock.     

是"城市化"还是"城镇"化--一个新型城市化道路的战略发展框架

对中国农村人口问题有两种不弼的理论主张和政策导向：一是城市化。二是城镇化。由于“城镇化”模型的基本结构是：“城镇化”=“城市化“ “乡镇化”其框架所明含的“乡镇化”倾向必然存在下述显著弊端：选择了不可能从根本上解决农民问题的农村化乡镇框架；将会对中国现代化进程中的农村人口压力产生短期缓解而长期困抗的不良后果；将会导致资泊配置的浪费；将会导致后果严重的长期环境污染；违背了农村人口的最优化理性选择；乡镇企业存在和发展主妻理由已经基本上不复存在。中国农村人口目艇t性发展的战略框架是：必须和只能走新型城市化道路；尽快理智而清晰地确立城市化的惟一发展战略；尽快建构“教育化 城市化”的提升国民素质的社会发展框架；尽快把县级城市作为中国城市化发展战略的根本空间选择和主要社会载体。中国在这方面具有广阔的制度创新空间。应尽快通过镧度现代化而开辟出一条农民市民化和人口现代化的制度通道。     

City surface solid waste in Nigerian cities

Within the last few years, uncleared solid wastes, in the form of heaps, have become a common sight in many Nigerian streets and open spaces. In order to assess the magnitudes of these wastes, a survey of selected 15 Nigerian cities was conducted for 2 months in 1982 with a team of 116 enumerators. It was found that the volumes of these uncleared wastes ranged from about 2 × 10⁶ kg/yr to as high as 56 × 10⁶ kg/yr in the cities studies. It was also found that the areas within a radius of 0.5 km of the city centres accounted for about 40% of these uncleared volumes of solid wastes.As distances increased from the city centres, the volumes of these wastes tended to decline. Therefore, it was determined that the main problem areas for uncleared solid wastes are in and around the city centres. These areas should demand special attention by city waste disposal agents.     

The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Urban Environmental Management: Some Evidence from Hanoi, Vietnam

In recent years flows of foreign direct investment (FDI) to developing countries have rapidly been increasing. It is now an important contributor to the national economy and urban growth in scores of developing countries. Rapid urbanization in these countries is leading to many problems in the cities. Existing urban infrastructure and municipal services have been unable to cope with the increased demand arising from growing population and rapid economic growth. Consequently, the environment in these cities has deteriorated alarmingly. This paper assesses the role of FDI in urban environmental management (UEM) by analyzing the linkages between them for Hanoi City in Vietnam. The paper's analysis and findings are presented under three main themes: one, FDI, employment and income; two, FDI and environmental degradation; and three, potential of utilizing FDI for the provision of urban environmental infrastructure and services (UEI&S) in order to improve the urban environment. Both primary and secondary source data have been used. Policy implications of the research findings are drawn from the perspective of sustainable development.     

中国固体废物管理政策变迁逻辑与完善路径

系统梳理固体废物管理政策的变迁逻辑,研究固体废物管理政策的聚焦内容和发展趋向,有助于明晰固体废物管理政策完善路径。研究立足于已颁布的固体废物管理政策,运用统计方法分析固体废物管理政策的文本结构和内容,找出中国固体废物管理政策变迁的内在逻辑;紧密结合当前“无废城市”建设的政策需求,提出政策优化完善路径。研究发现:固体废物管理政策文本类型多元、效力级别多样,政策框架体系逐步优化完善;固体废物管理政策热点具有鲜明的时代发展烙印和动态演变特征,政策涉及的领域越来越广,政策内容更具针对性和全面性,政策执行更具指向性和可操作性;无害化、减量化、资源化,污染防治、监督管理、二次污染、回收利用、循环经济等是政策关注焦点;政府从宏观层面强化顶层设计,以政策引导规范为主,注重政策协同、技术支撑、治理水平提升等助推无害化、减量化、资源化目标实现;固体废物管理政策实施的工具手段多元化、要素支撑多样化,固体废物管理的技术支撑关注度逐步提升、管理模式与治理路径已进入适应性转型。立足现实需要,固体废物管理的市场化政策与激励机制不足,适用性技术关注度不高,综合管理水平和治理能力亟待提升。结合国外“无废城市”建设的理论研究、实践行动和政策举措,从固体废物生命周期管理政策、技术范式政策、主体协同政策、引导激励政策及法律法规政策等方面提出中国“无废城市”建设的政策完善路径方向。     

中国城镇化道路的反思与对策

改革开放加速了我国的城镇化进程。从1978年至2010年,城镇化率由17.92%迅速提高到49.95%,形成了长三角、珠三角、京津冀三大城市群,一批区域性城市群正在加速形成。城镇化的快速发展特别是城市群的形成为推动我国经济社会发展和增强国际竞争力发挥了重要作用。但与此同时,城镇化也带来了突出的可持续发展问题。主要表现在:人口过度膨胀,城市病集中爆发,经济增长与宜居性背道而驰;城市面貌千篇一律,野蛮拆迁横行,土地型资本运作难以持续;进城易,定居难,城乡"二元社会"问题正演变为城市内定居群体与流动群体"二元社会"问题;城市间恶性竞争,产业同构,建立分工协作的机制任重道远。基于此,本文提出了未来10年推进我国城镇化的对策思路:坚持积极发展小城市和小城镇方针,缓解地域中心城市人口压力;创新农村居民点用地管理制度,实现城镇化与新农村建设有机统一;加强城市规划与管理的科学化,全力提升城市品位;建立跨区域城市协调机制,破解恶性竞争与产业同构困局;促进公共服务均等化,消除新老"二元社会"问题。     

Problems of urban environment: A case study of Jodhpur,India

This paper attempts to analyze the environmental problems of Jodhpur city in terms of air quality, water supply, wastewater disposal, and solid waste management. Maps have been prepared to show the boundaries of municipal circles responsible for the disposal of solid wastes. Areas of comparatively higher degrees of air pollution have also been demarcated on the maps. The daily output of urban refuse and the intensity of urban refuse for wards within Jophpur's walled city versus for wards outside the walled city have been cartographically depicted.     

Urban development,environmental vulnerability and CRZ violations in India: impacts on fishing communities and sustainability implications in Mumbai coast

Coastal Regulations in India are traced back to the UN Conference on Human Environment, held in Stockholm in 1972. The Environment Protection Act (EPA) 1986 was enacted to implement India’s commitments as a signatory. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification of 1991 was made under the provisions of the EPA in order to protect coastal environments and social and livelihood security of fishing community. This paper assesses the effects of CRZ rules and violations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, which has experienced tremendous growth due to the rapid industrialization and urbanization. This process has led to the destruction of mangroves and other important species of fish which play a crucial role in sustaining the coastal ecology and urban biodiversity; high population density and uneven growth have exacerbated adverse environmental and socioeconomic consequences. The Koli (fishing community) in this region faces huge problems of survival and sustenance in small-scale fishing, due to the rampant commercial fishing by big trawlers and large-scale dumping of waste materials by the industries surrounding the vicinity into the sea. In small but significant ways, the fishing communities through their traditional commons-based resource management and livelihood systems protect the coastal ecology and help the cities in reducing their carbon footprints. On the basis of primary field research in Thane–Mulund Creek Bhandup, Chimbai, and Sewri, this paper attempts to assess CRZ violations taking place on coastal areas and is causing damage to the coastal ecology. The research specifically has focused on the particular fishing-related activities and spaces—such as: jetties, parking of boats, access to sea, weaving and drying of nets, landing grounds, drying and cleaning of fish that are more affected by encroachment of seashore area and by CRZ rules violations. It evaluates the actions taken by Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority and Bombay Municipal Corporation while implementing rules and making Integrated Coastal Zone Management plan for management of marine environment. It raises broader issues relating to the contradictions and complementarities involved in ICZM plans vis-a-vis management of biodiversity, within a larger context of rapid urbanization and demands for real estate growth. The paper argues that urban biodiversity management requires clear valuation of the long-term ecological and socioeconomic benefits of sustenance of coastal ecology and related livelihoods.     

太湖流域城市化水平及外来人口影响测评

太湖流域属于我国东部沿海经济较发达的地区,2000年城市化水平达到66.17%,接近全国平均水平的两倍。自改革开放以来,该地区工业化发展迅速,由以乡镇企业为主过渡到外资和民营企业的大力发展,吸引了来自全国各地的就业迁移人口,成为全国流动人口的主要集中区。同时使得外来人口成为地区社会经济发展规划不可忽视的重要因素。以第五次人口普查资料为基础分析了太湖流域外来人口来源的地域和城乡构成,计算了外来人口数量及分布情况,指出外来人口的城乡非均衡分布促成地区城镇化率的小幅上升,太湖流域各地区的上升幅度在2%左右,部分解释了隐性城镇化率的产生。在城市市区,外来人口平均占到总城市人口的18%。对于50万人口以上城市,外来人口比重与城市规模表现出良好的相关性,可用于指导城市人口规模及地区城镇化水平预测。     

Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management methods: Ankara case study

Different solid waste management system scenarios were developed and compared for the Municipal Solid Waste Management System of Ankara by using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The solid waste management methods considered in the scenarios were collection and transportation of wastes, source reduction, Material Recovery Facility (MRF)/Transfer Stations (TS), incineration, anaerobic digestion and landfilling. The goal of the study was to determine the most environmentally friendly option of MSWM system for Ankara. The functional unit of the study was the amount of solid waste generated in the system area of concern, which are the districts of Ankara. The life cycle inventory analysis was carried out by IWM Model-1. The inputs and outputs of each management stage were defined and the inventory emissions calculated by the model were classified in to impact categories; non-renewable energy sources exhausting potential, final solid waste as hazardous and non-hazardous, global warming, acidification, eutrophication and human toxicity. The impacts were quantified with the weighing factors of each category to develop the environmental profiles of each scenario. In most of the categories, Source Reduction Scenario was found to be the most feasible management method, except the global warming category. The lowest contribution to GWP was calculated for the anaerobic digestion process. In the interpretation and improvement assessment stage, the results were further evaluated and recommendations were made to improve the current solid waste management system of Ankara.     

Solid waste management in Bogotá: the role of recycling associations as investigated through SWOT analysis

In emerging economies, recycling provides an opportunity for cities to increase the lifespan of sanitary landfills, to reduce the costs of solid waste management, to decrease environmental problems from waste treatment by reincorporating waste into the productive cycle and to protect and develop the livelihoods of citizens who work as informal waste pickers. However, few studies have analysed the possibilities of and strategies for integrating the formal and informal sectors in solid waste management for the benefit of both. This integration is the key, especially in developing countries, to understanding how the recycling population can develop a business despite their social and economic limitations. The aim of this study was to perform a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis of three recycling associations in Bogotá with the aim of examining and understanding the recycling situation from the perspective of members of the informal sector in their transition to becoming authorised waste providers. This issue has rarely been studied in the context of developing countries. The data used in the analysis are derived from multiple sources, including a literature review, Bogota’s recycling database, focus group meetings, governmental reports, national laws and regulations and interviews with key stakeholders. The results of this study show that as the primary stakeholders, the formal and informal waste management sectors can identify the internal and external conditions of recycling in Bogotá. Several strategies were designed based on the SWOT analysis. The participation of recycling associations is important in the design and application of waste policy, the consolidation of recycling through an effective business model, promotional programmes for social inclusion and the development of new transformation processes and technologies to valorise recycling materials. In conclusion, recycling associations can become authorised waste providers through a profitable business that increases recycling rates to create a productive process from waste during the generation of new materials and to decrease environmental problems while improving the welfare and living conditions of recyclers. These findings are important for Bogotá to advance and promote recycling as a key strategy for integrated sustainable waste management in the city.     

Economic Analysis of Social Security System in Today's China's Countryside

To establish a complete villagers' social security system is one of the important steps in constructing new socialist villages. Theoretically speaking, establishing villagers' social security system is the need of welfare, social production and management of macro-demand. Nowadays, China has the ability to bear the expense of establishing villagers' social security system. As far as the existing state of rural areas is concerned, the function of land and family security is weakening, the social security need of peasant workers in cities in urbanization is increasing, and the rural population is aging. All these urgently need perfecting villagers' social security. Considering the existing state of China, currently four principles and three emphases should be maintained.     

太湖流域苏锡常地区地面沉降若干问题探析

地面沉降是我国和世界上许多城市出现的重要地质灾害之一,它是由多种因素引发的地表海拔缓慢降低现象。苏锡常地区位于太湖流域的核心地带,是我国经济最发达的地区之一。但是,随着经济的持续发展、人口的急剧增加、城镇化进程的不断加快,地下水开采日益强烈,已引发大范围严重的地面沉降,对当地生存和发展环境构成极大威胁。对苏锡常地区地面沉降现状、成因及危害的分析表明：要系统解决该地区地面沉降问题,必须从经济社会发展需要和生态环境保护的角度出发,综合运用法律、经济、技术、行政等手段,坚持走新型工业化道路,加快经济结构调整,坚决禁止过度开采地下水,优化地表水和地下水的使用与管理。