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www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/4/3441/2007/
doi:10.5194/hessd-4-3441-2007
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Sustainable water services and interaction with water resources in Europe and in Brazil
1Centre International de Recherches sur l'Environnement et le Développement, Paris, France
2State University of Rio de Janeiro/Environment and Sanitation Department (UERJ/DESMA), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3Federal University of Rio de Janeiro/Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (UFRJ/FAU), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Abstract. The increasing interaction between large cities and nature makes "urban water" an issue: water resources and water services – including public water supply, sewage collection and treatment, and in large cities, storm water control –, which had become separate issues thanks to the process of water transport and treatment technologies, are now increasingly interfering with each other. We cannot take nature for granted anymore, and we need to protect water resources, if only to reduce the long term cost of transporting and treating water. In this paper, we compare the historical development of water industry technologies in European and Brazilian metropolitan areas, in their socio-economic and political context, tracing it through three "ages" of water technology and services which developed under civil engineering, sanitary engineering, and environmental engineering perspectives: the "quantity of water" and civil engineering paradigm was developed on the assumption that water should be drawn from natural environments far from the cities; in the "water quality" and chemical/sanitation engineering paradigm, water treatment was invented and allowed cities to take water from rivers closer to them and treat it, but also to reduce sewer discharge impacts; finally, the environmental engineering paradigm proposes to overcome the supply side perspective, by introducing demand side management, water conservation, water allocation flexibilisation, and an integrated approach to water services, water resources management, and land use policies.
Discussion Paper (PDF, 470 KB) Interactive Discussion (Closed, 4 Comments) Final Revised Paper (HESS)
Citation: Barraqué, B., Formiga Johnsson, R. M., and Britto, A. L.: Sustainable water services and interaction with water resources in Europe and in Brazil, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., 4, 3441-3467, doi:10.5194/hessd-4-3441-2007, 2007. Bibtex EndNote Reference Manager XML
