Successful integrated water management aligns with and enables four cross-cutting priorities for the future of our cities: placemaking, circularity, resilience and stewardship.
Placemaking: IWM strengthens placemaking in cities by providing opportunities to celebrate water locally and to create greener, cooler and multi-functional spaces.
Circularity: IWM enables a circular economy by using ‘alternative water sources’ such as stormwater and wastewater which would otherwise be waste streams.
Resilience: Many of the impacts of climate change are felt through water. IWM provides opportunities to holistically build the resilience of cities by simultaneously risks relating to water security, flooding, environmental pollution and heat wave vulnerability.
Stewardship: IWM drives collaboration, strengthening inter-organisational relationships, embedding stewardship of water within communities and potentially unlocking co-funding to realised shared benefits​.