News | Wednesday, 28 June 2017
How do we want to live tomorrow? Scientists publish report about water supply in urban regions
photo: ChiccoDodiFC - Fotolia
More than half of humanity already lives in cities and urban areas. The sustainable use of water resources in urban regions is essential in order to ensure a livable environment for future generations. That is the conclusion of 26 young Brasilian and German scientists, who identified future-oriented research topics concerning urban water management. These topics are addressed in the report “How Do We Want to Live Tomorrow? Perspectives on Water Management in Urban Regions”, which was published today.
The scientists emphasize that groundwater resources become scarce in many cities, since ground sealing decreases the natural recharge. The report further addresses health risks caused by water contaminants, like drugs, metals or pesticides.
The specific research questions of the authors were formulated during a workshop hosted by the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, the Brasilian Academy of Sciences and the Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU) of the University of Duisburg-Essen. The authors take the view that answering these research questions can contribute to a sustainable water management in cities – a requirement for a healthy and environmentally friendly urban life.
