Developing Water Security Index for Urban Areas

Abstract

The rapid growth of urban population is a major demographic trend along with the physical expansion of cities. It is estimated that by 2050, nearly 70% of the world population would be concentrated in urban areas, particularly in the less developed countries where a population of 5 million is added every month. It is expected to be accompanied by the accelerated growth of megacities and metacities. There is also significant increase in the number of slum dwellers who do not have adequate access to proper infrastructure, potable drinking water and basic sanitation. The urban poor are thus forced to pay more to procure water than their richer counterpart who enjoy municipal supply at negligible or no cost. Inadequate provisioning of drainage and sewerage makes the urban areas susceptible to increased risk of urban flooding. The proper functioning of the ecosystems is also hampered because of increased pollution levels. The chapter explores the reasons for water insecurity, which, as is widely understood, is rarely one of physical scarcity. Based on number of water stress and urban sustainability indicators, the chapter further explores the possibility of identifying various parameters for developing a water security index based on weighted aggregate score to assess water security in urban areas.