Climate Adaptation through Sustainable Urban Development

Location: Makassar, Indonesia and Can Tho, Vietnam

Contact: Matthew.Inman@csiro.au

Research question: What likely scenarios should vulnerable coastal and delta cities be adapting to and what urban water infrastructure options will be most sustainable in the face of climate change impacts?

What is the project doing?

Through case studies in the coastal cities of Can Tho, Vietnam, and Makassar, Indonesia, we are focusing on integrated urban water management systems as a means of demonstrating how cities can respond to drivers such as climate change, population growth and rising demands on regional resources such as water and energy through sustainable urban development pathways

Makassar, which is considered very strategic for Indonesia as it represents the gateway to the eastern regions, is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts such as coastal inundation.

Can Tho, located in the Mekong Delta, is already facing challenges in terms of water and wastewater provisions and its problems with water quality and quantity will be exacerbated by climate change.

Our specific focus is climate adaptation in the context of providing water and wastewater services.

Both cities are expected to grow rapidly and considerably in the coming years and Significant infrastructure investment is planned to support the fast-growing population. There is considerable risk that investment currently proposed is poorly designed to adapt to climate change.

We are engaging with in-country policymakers, urban managers and researchers to facilitate the development of practical knowledge that they can use to assess and guide investment options.

As part of each case study, we are:

• assessing the risks of climate change on the sustainability of fresh water supplies and the functioning of the urban water system
• developing future scenarios, planning and design alternatives for managing an integrated urban water system that is adapted to climate and population change
• building the capacity of in-country partner organisations to assess the risks of climate change and develop climate adaptation strategies for sustaining clean water supply and sanitation and for managing the unavoidable impacts of urban, coastal and delta flooding
• engaging communities through existing forums to build people’s understanding of climate change impacts and the adaptation required

What will the project produce?

For each case study city, we are identifying the impacts of climate change on water resources and water infrastructure.

Applying integrated urban water management techniques, we are creating a framework that planners can use to consider alternative urban water servicing options under climate-change scenarios.

How can the project make a difference to development?

The sustainability of today’s investment in water and wastewater infrastructure and services over the long term is a key consideration for governments and donor agencies. Importantly, these service life timeframes overlap with the timing of anticipated climate change impacts. 

Urban planning, and specifically planning for water and wastewater provision, needs to consider the impacts of climate change and adapt infrastructure and planning decisions accordingly. 

Our research links an understanding of water and wastewater requirements with infrastructure planning and climate change impact assessment, giving valuable insights to urban planners and managers as well as donor agencies. This will help to ensure that investments made in the near term will support communities well into the future. 

The knowledge generated from our case studies will also be relevant to other vulnerable cities.

Project completion date – September 2012