Why a Water Sensitive Cities Index?
Cities around the world are facing the complex challenge of designing technological, policy, and institutional arrangements that are resilient to the impacts of climate change and population growth, while ensuring sustainable management of water resources and the protection of aquatic environments.
Moving toward integrated urban water management is particularly challenging. Some cities are still grappling with the delivery of essential services like water and sanitation, while others are struggling to overcome the vulnerabilities created by their existing water management systems. Both developed and developing nations are therefore seeking guidance on overcoming existing institutional and infrastructure challenges in order to enable the transition to more water sensitive practices.
Governments are increasingly using conceptual models or frameworks as a basis for decision-making. Therein lies an opportunity: good models can help us articulate goals and targets for service delivery, link actions with outcomes, and track progress.
The WSC Index is an indicator benchmarking tool that identifies urban water management conditions that create more liveable, sustainable, resilient, and productive urban places, consistent with the concept of water sensitive cities. The Index applies an industry-focused approach to the translation of research into an innovative benchmarking and planning tool for decision makers keen to support the transition to a water sensitive city.
What is the purpose of the Water Sensitive Cities Index?
The purpose of the WSC Index is to guide governments, organisations, and communities to transition their cities into liveable, resilient, sustainable, and productive places through water-related actions.
The WSC Index is designed to:
- Benchmark and rank cities based on water sensitivity performance;
- Set targets and track progress;
- Inform management responses to improve water sensitive practices and enable the transition to a water sensitive city; and
- Foster industry collaboration.
Designed in collaboration with industry partners, the WSC Index serves as a product with four core values: useability, functionality, reliability and benefits.
What does benchmarking for water sensitive cities achieve?
The WSC Index aims to:
- provide a communication tool for describing a water sensitive city;
- articulate a shared set of goals for a water sensitive city or town;
- provide global benchmarking for a region;
- measure progress and direction of progress (at a city or local scale) toward achieving water sensitive city goals; and
- assist decision-makers prioritise actions, define responsibility, and foster accountability for water-related practices.