Urban water management

Cities around the world increasingly face pressure from both growing populations and climate change, challenging urban water supply in terms of available resources and in terms of treatment of increased wastewater volumes. An integrated approach to urban water management can ensure cost efficiency and synergies. E.g., wastewater treatment can provide the city with energy and nature-based solutions can delay or store rainwater for later use.

Today, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050

55 %

68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN

Globally, 700 million urbanites live without improved sanitation, contributing to poor health conditions and heavy pollution loads in wastewater

700,000,000

Water and urbanization

The number of large cities exposed to water scarcity is projected to increase from 193 to 193–284 by 2050, including 10–20 megacities such as New York, Jakarta, and Shanghai

284

Future global urban water scarcity and potential solutions

Related facts

Explore urban water management

Creation date: Latest first

News

Water supply

+12

The era of partnership for water action is here

During the historic UN International Water Conference on 22-24 March in New York, a new digital water value chain was launched to highlight the value of partnerships and share Danish lessons across the water industry.

solutions

Air pollution

+7

Urban greening: living lab will measure how plants help cities combat pollution

Urban air and noise pollution are two major factors impacting the quality of life of city dwellers and causing significant harm both to our health and to the environment. A growing number of cities are considering strategic urban greening projects as a high impact economic solution to reduce noise a

solutions

Wastewater treatment

+1

22% reduction in energy consumption at wastewater treatment plant

Since water and wastewater treatment processes account for 4% of global electricity consumption, it’s vital that reducing energy consumption is in focus for industrial and domestic wastewater treatment. Fortunately, there are cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions that can reduce energy consu

solutions

Climate change adaptation

+1

P.G. Ramms Allé - A green climate road

20 February 2023

There is a great potential in rethinking the use of our streets, squares and general urban spaces, when it comes to the management of water connected to heavier rain events. Green spaces work as a good medium for infiltration of water, but there is often a dominance of grey surfaces in the cities, c

solutions

Nature based solutions

The Virumpark - Recreating nature

20 February 2023

When preparing for the changing climate in urban and suburban areas it means rethinking and reshaping the urban landscape. The Green spaces in urban and semi urban areas hold great potential in dealing with heavier rain events. Green spaces naturally enable infiltration, but is less capable of stori

solutions

Climate change adaptation

+1

Bülows Vej - A road for the future

20 February 2023

Climate adaptation projects are becoming an increasingly larger part of the urban environment. Dealing with climate change is relevant both in the smaller and larger scale and can with great impact, be incorporated into our roads, streets and parking spaces, which often is dominated by grey surfaces

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Meet Danish urban water management professionals

Organisation

Bio-based circular solutions

+19

Kalundborg Symbiosis

Kalundborg Symbiosis is a partnership between sixteen public and private companies in Kalundborg. The main principle is that a waste stream in one company becomes a resource in another, benefiting bot

Company

Climate change adaptation

+6

Just-measure ApS

Just-measure makes data about water quality easy accessible. We make measurements of primelary nitrate and nitrite with online data to our cloud platform within 3 business areas: Drinking water wells,

Company

Biogas

+9

Nanonord A/S

NanoNord A/S is a Danish, privately-owned company with unique and strong bonds to the world of science and university research. The company specializes in the development of real-time, online oil, foo

Company

Climate change adaptation

+4

Niels Lützen Landskabsarkitekter

Niels Lützen Landskabsarkitekter is a Copenhagen based landscape architecture studio, that specializes in climate change adaptation and have gained great recognition for our expertise and experience w

Company

District cooling

+14

IRON Pump A/S

IRON Pump is a Danish company, specialized in the manufacturing and development of energy efficiency pumps for the maritime and industrial sectors.

Company

Waste management

+3

Simon Moos Maskinfabrik A/S

With more than forty years of experience, Simon Moos Maskinfabrik A/S is the industry leader in know-how about sludge dewatering, sludge processing and the effective management of related tasks and lo

Company

Climate change adaptation

+13

Lyninco ApS

Smart Water Management engineering consulting and service provider (data-as-a-service) implementing Smart Water solutions for cities, river managers, hydropower, ports, authorities, and private compan

Company

Buildings

+9

Juul Frost Architects

Juul Frost Architects is an award-winning multidisciplinary studio with a holistic approach and a human focus. The purpose of our architecture and urban development is to promote quality of life, he

Show all partners

Explore related focus areas

Air pollution

With urbanisation set to increase, air pollution will affect even more people in the future if no action is taken. Through strict environmental legislation and air quality monitoring, Denmark has reduced atmospheric pollution in most areas to less than one-fifth of the levels during the late 70s.

Climate change adaptation

Expanding mitigation to include adaptation in dealing with climate change, enables a holistic view that can combat previous negative social, environmental, and economic impacts and result in both climate resilient and more liveable places to live. Over the next 15-20 years, Denmark will spend more than EUR 5 billion on adapting its cities to climate changes.

District energy

Put simply, district energy is about moving energy in water, with a valuable temperature, from a place of production to the place of consumption. Denmark’s district heating system is highly energy efficient and has been one of the key drivers for reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions from the energy sector.

Green buildings

With urbanisation, demographic changes, and climate change, our cities and their buildings are facing immense challenges. Creative and innovative thinking can lead us towards a more sustainable approach to designing, creating, and using the buildings that form the basis for our everyday lives, to the benefit of both our planet and the people that populate our urban centres. Ensuring that new buildings are sustainable and energy-efficient will be key to our efforts to tackle climate change.

Smart cities

As the pace of urbanisation quickens, cities face immense challenges related to waste management, mobility, climate adaptation and energy. However, as their political, economic, and technological power grows, cities can harness this trend to act as leaders in the green transition and drivers of the green economy. Cities need smart solutions to ensure that they are optimised for sustainable economic activity, energy consumption, and an improved environmental impact.

Urban mobility

Cities must be built for people to be sustainable, healthy, and liveable. Targeted policy-making with urban mobility in mind is a strong reinforcement of these objectives. The key is to acknowledge the importance of city space and city life as an attractive, informal, and democratic meeting place for the city residents.

Urban waste management

Urban waste management entails the entire system of collecting, sorting, treating, utilising and ultimately disposing of waste. When properly facilitated it can provide a source of energy and resources, while significantly reducing pollution.

Urban water management

Cities around the world increasingly face pressure from both growing populations and climate change, challenging urban water supply in terms of available resources and in terms of treatment of increased wastewater volumes. An integrated approach to urban water management can ensure cost efficiency and synergies. E.g., wastewater treatment can provide the city with energy and nature-based solutions can delay or store rainwater for later use.