Water Cycle and Urban-Ecological Development

This project, a part of an interdisciplinary cooperative project focusing on "City Ecology" sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF), studies the relationship among social, technical and natural aspects of a sustainable development, using the example of water in heavily populated urban areas. The goal of the research is, first of all, to work out a new urban model of development; and, secondly, to examine and evaluate paths towards water policy oriented toward sustainability. Dresden and Frankfurt am Main are the two cities used as examples in the research of this cooperative project.

In addition, the ISOE, working together with COOPERATIVE, continued its cooperative research with the sub-project "Critical Technology Impact Assessment." In cooperation with the University of Kassel on the sub-project "Scenarios," a comparison was made of different "paths" (or strategies for action) that might be used to deal with water problems and social-ecological crisis situations in urban-industrial regions. One of these "paths" aims at a continuation of the already begun reform in the area of water; the second "path" has as its goal a political transformation of water policy and a transformation of the water economy, and strengthens the authority of citizens.

Until now, it is unclear which of these two strategies would better achieve sustainability in the water economy. The potential and restrictions of these "paths" will be evaluated using action impact assessment methods. The unintended consequences for the natural economy, quality of life and the economy are also to be taken into account. In this way, possible instruments of action with respect to the transformation, or reform, of water policy can be systematically registered and assigned to each of the strategies; and both ways can be optimized by a selection of instruments particularly appropriate to each of them.

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