TODAY, more than half the world’s population live in cities , and in Asia we are expecting unprecedented growth — by 2030, megacities of 10 million inhabitants or more will be located in Asia.
While urbanisation is synonymous with economic growth, it can often do more harm than good if we do not have the proper infrastructure to sustain the rapid development. As epicentres of human activities, cities see intense production and consumption, using huge quantities of our limited natural resources while contributing to climate change.
One of the most critical resources under stress in urban cities is water. The issue is even more acute in Asia-Pacific, with the region being home to almost two-thirds of the world’s population but only having access to one-third of its usable water resources.
For Malaysia, development and climate change has affected the country’s water stress levels. A 2016 report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) revealed that several areas in eight states and Kuala Lumpur are expected to experience water issues by 2020. The impact of the rapid urban growth over our limited water resources is multi-fold: demand for water is on the rise, while more sewage is being produced and treated, more stormwater needs to be managed and more water pollution needs to be contained.
While each city faces its own unique set of challenges when it comes to tackling sustainability, the bottom-line for all is that, in order to ensure we have enough water for the next generation, we need to take a step back and rethink how cities as a whole can better manage this precious resource.
From water and wastewater treatment plants to pipelines and reservoirs, the urban landscape is rife with grey infrastructure. However, with climate change and increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heavy rain and flooding, human-engineered systems are crumbling under the pressure to manage stormwater.
Malaysia continues to be vulnerable to the threat of flooding amidst urbanisation. According to the Belgium-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, Malaysia experienced 38 floods in the last two decades, which have affected over 770,000 people, killed 148 people, and caused over US$1.4 billion (RM6 billion) in damage. Urban and suburban areas such as Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Penang continue to experience flash floods during the monsoon season.
A proven way to better manage stormwater is by combining green infrastructure with grey infrastructure. Green infrastructure is a cost-effective and resilient approach to manage wet weather impacts, through the strategic use of networks of natural lands, working landscapes, and other open spaces.
Increasingly, cities are recognising the effectiveness of the “green-grey” approach. A successful example is China’s sponge cities. Facing long-term risks from rising sea levels, the Lingang district in Shanghai replaced concrete pavements with wetlands, green rooftops and rain gardens so that stormwater could be absorbed back into the land, providing an ecologically friendly alternative to traditional flood defences and drainage systems and enabling water conservation that could be harnessed for reuse by households and industries.
While climate change has certainly exacerbated the water crisis, one of the major challenges faced by cities today is the inefficient consumption of water. For cities, buildings account for a significant amount of water and energy consumption, and more residential and commercial buildings have come up in Malaysia. A report by Fitch Solutions said Malaysia’s residential and non-residential buildings sector will grow at an annual average of 3.7 per cent between now and 2027. In order to shelter the rising population and boost economic growth, it is important to ensure we use water more efficiently.
Green buildings have become the new mantra for sustainable development of cities, including Malaysia. There are ongoing efforts to boost the development of these eco-friendly buildings that focus on efficient use of resources such as water and energy. Initiatives such as Malaysian Green Building Confederation’s Green Building Index (GBI) rating system, help set a benchmark for sustainability efforts by businesses and developers.
However, we need to look beyond just planting trees or incorporating energy efficient office design. We need to also review the entire hardware of buildings to create greater efficiency in all aspects. For example, pumps control the water and cooling system of a building, operating and using energy year-round. There is also a major opportunity to reduce water losses along the supply chain. By using efficient pumps, buildings can go a long way in meeting sustainability as well as energy and water efficiency standards.
An efficient water system goes beyond individual components working in silos, but instead it is about how an entire system can work together cohesively to ensure the optimisation of resources. The key to effectively address a city’s water challenges is interconnectivity between the different parts to enable constant feedback and communication.
Digitalisation holds vast potential for water and wastewater management by providing capabilities that enable this connectivity. Intelligent technology enables our systems to predict changes in demand, and in turn proactively adjust water pressure to prevent excessive stress on pipes.
Sustainable water resources is the most urgent need that we face today. To address this, the narrative of urban cities needs to shift from concrete infrastructure to a green approach, one that is married with innovative thinking and modern technologies.
The public and the private sector have a real opportunity to work together and address the water crisis by incorporating green infrastructure, developing green buildings and leveraging digitalisation in water processes.
With World Water Day this year reminding us to work towards the collective goal of “Leaving no one behind”, we need to accelerate our efforts to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of water for future generations.
The writer is group senior vice-president and regional managing director of a Denmark-based pump manufacturer for the Asia-Pacific region