Efficient and equitable water, wastewater and stormwater management for the megacities is becoming an increasingly complex task. This book focuses on water management in its totality for megacities, including their technical, social, economic, legal, institutional and environmental dimensions through a series of specially invited case studies from different megacities of the world. At present, around one in two of the earth’s 6.3 billion people live in urban areas. Each year, the world population grows by around 80 million. Practically all of this growth is urban, primarily due to migration. The world’s urban population is expected to reach 5 billion by 2030, which is nearly two-thirds more than in 2000, and would mean that 60% of world’s population will live in urban areas. The cases studies analysed include some of the most interesting and challenging megacities of this planet, Dhaka, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Mexico City, ArRiyadh and São Paulo. They assess different aspects of how water is intermingled in the overall development milieu. Water Management for Large Cities considers the magnitudes, nature and extent of the present and future challenges and how these could be met in socially acceptable and cost-effective ways. The international contributors are all acknowledged water experts.
Edited by Cecilia Tortajada, Olli Varis, Jan Lundqvist and Asit K. Biswas, 2009, Routledge, London, 213 pages.