Roadmap guideline: A manual to organise transition planning in Urban Water Cycle Systems

Abstract

A roadmap enables decision makers to plan and implement a pathway to achieve desired objectives. At the same time it serves as an excellent communication tool. The TRUST roadmap links strategy to future needs and actions and incorporates a plan for needed adaptations measures to be available at the right time. It addresses to managers and decision makers of urban water services related institutions in each city/demonstration cluster of the project and can be adapted in general for all strategic UWCS planning activities. The roadmap process can consider good practices of water service related institutions (e.g. drinking water/wastewater utility, local administration, local government, NGOs etc.) for urban water management and its sustainable planning. It will help to find the individual pathway to sustainable UWCS focussing on individual/regional/local adaptation needs and ambitions of the TRUST cities/demonstration clusters. The roadmap is designed as a communication approach that organises a collaborative strategic planning for sustainable USWC in 2040. It supports a direct exchange between all relevant actors. An open interest of the cities/demonstration areas in transition and adaptation issues is a very important element for a successful roadmap demonstration. The roadmap exercise needs data and information about the status quo and (realistic) assumptions about selected future trends and pressures of each participating city. This information will be collected, analysed and assessed with an active participation of the cities in workshops to define a catalogue of measures for a stepwise implementation of the urban water system and service transition. The guideline describes the roadmap demonstration and provides supporting templates. The whole concept will be tested in the demonstration activities in TRUST and will be applicable to any city/region outside of TRUST.