The implications of movement of water through an urban catchment on the delivery of a range of ecosystem services

With the 2000-2015 timeframe for the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) drawing to a close, considerable international effort has focussed on the development of a series of sustainable development goals (SDGs) for the 2016-2030 time-period. The SDGs, currently available in draft format, set out the priorities for international development, building on and strengthening the expiring MDGs. Seventeen focus areas have been identified including, a specific goal to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. The specific targets associated with the urban goal include reducing the number of people affected by water-related disasters and the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities. The provision of universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public space is identified together with the adoption by cities of integrated policies and plans towards mitigation and adaption to climate change and disaster risk management at all levels. To assist the implementation of the urban SDG, an ecosystem approach (EsA) provides a potentially useful framework for researchers and decision makers. The collation of data from multiple disciplines and their subsequent co-evaluation supports an integrated assessment of the environment from current and future human wellbeing perspectives, supporting the development of a broader understanding of the impact of our activities on the environment. It is within this policy development and implementation context that this paper sets out to assess the movement of water through an urban catchment in terms of its impacts on the delivery of a range of ecosystem services, goods and benefits (ESGB). Using data from the literature, the contribution of eight urban water compartments and six urban water transfer mechanisms to the delivery of 12 ecosystems services is considered. This benchmarking process indicates both the breadth of the aspects that can be impacted by urban water planning decisions and the scope for using urban water management plans to directly enhance the delivery of ESGB within urban environments. Using this evaluation as a baseline, the application of alternative urban water management scenarios on ESGB are then considered.