Climate change and urbanisation are crucial phenomena for water supply, economic development and health worldwide. Since many cities battle with droughts and floods, it is imperative that urban water management be radically improved. In the European Commission’s Smart City policy the focus is on energy, transport and ICT. The goal of the BlueSCities project is to generate recommendations on how water and waste can also be integrated, so as to make the Smart City policy even smarter.
Within the BlueSCities project a prominent role has been given to City Blueprint, a tool that was especially developed for the assessment of urban water management.
Quick scan of the sustainability of the urban watercycle
City Blueprint is a quick scan of the sustainability of the urban watercycle. It uses 25 indicators, divided into 7 categories: water quality, household waste, basic water services, wastewater treatment, infrastructure, climate adaptation and governance. The indicators are scored on a scale of 0 to 10, and the average of the 25 scores produces the Blue City Index (BCI). This single number provides an indication of the sustainability of the urban watercycle.
We will be applying the new City Blueprint approach to many cities in Europe. So far, reports have been produced and published on 45 cities worldwide. Combined with Amberscan (indicators for energy, transport and ICT), the tool presents a broad picture of the performance of cities. We will be doing this for 8 cities.
Removing cross-sectoral obstacles
The BlueSCities objectives are to enhance the understanding of the problems and challenges related to water and waste in cities; to underpin responsible and good choices regarding the investments required; and to share best practices. The results will be incorporated in practical recommendations to the European Commission.