Integrated water resouce management as a development driver – Prospecting a sanitation improvement cycle for the greater Rio de Janeiro using the city blueprint approach

• Published in: Journal of cleaner production 2021-09, Vol.315, p.128054, Article 128054
• Main Authors: Okumura, Celí Kiyomi, Locke, Micaela, Fraga, João Paulo Rebechi, Beleño de Oliveira, Antonio Krishnamurti, Veról, Aline Pires, Canedo de Magalhães, Paulo, Miguez, Marcelo Gomes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Flood; Governance; Integrated water resource management; Strategic urban development plan; Urban resilience; Urban water
• ISSN: 0959-6526; 1879-1786
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128054

Fast urban growth and climate change have intensified water-related challenges, especially in large cities considering their scale and complexity. The purpose of this work is to pose the key role of Integrated Water Resource Management for a city's sustainable development, aiming to improve social, economic, and environmental conditions. To reach this goal, the Greater Rio de Janeiro (GRJ), in Brazil, will be used as an exploratory case study to support the discussion about proposing a cause-consequence framework. The GRJ has 13.1 million inhabitants and suffers from uneven distribution of goods, services, and infrastructure throughout its territory. The method includes 1. Apply the City Blueprint Approach (CBA) to assess the current IWRM of the GRJ; 2. Compare the results with the sanitation main findings identified in the Strategic Integrated Urban Development Plan (PEDUI) of the GRJ; 3. Given the similarity of the CBA outcomes and the PEDUI sanitation diagnosis, the City Blueprint Framework is subsequently applied to assess the behavior of GRJ in 2040. By comparing the current and future GRJ's IWRM status, a cause-consequence framework is built, highlighting the potentials and opportunities of a sanitation improvement cycle that intends to balance social inequalities towards a better quality of life in developing cities. •Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) is causally related to the quality of life.•A causal relation between Integrated Water Resource Management and city development is built.•The City Blueprint® Approach is used as a prospecting tool.•The Rio de Janeiro Metropolis, in Brazil, is taken as an exploratory case.•The IWRM framework shows the role of water as a sustainable urban growth driver.