SDG: 12
Water is a vital, limited and variable resource which is under increasing demand. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) (glossary) is a process which seeks to secure access to clean water, to satisfy current and future needs, in an economically efficient, equitable, and environmentally sustainable way. It includes: good governance principles and taking advantage of scientific knowledge to support policy and decision-making; coordination of the different LG departments and engagement of a wide range of stakeholders; integration of different water uses within the watershed, upstream and downstream (including with wastewater management); the integration of future needs into current planning processes; and as a next generation of integration the water – energy nexus. This Solution focuses on the processes which the Local Governments (LGs) can implement to contribute to IWRM, within their territory and beyond.
Waste incineration with energy recovery, usually named Waste-to-Energy (WtE) is a widely applied technique in developed countries – especially in the European Union, Japan, and the USA. WtE plants process the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and similar wastes that remains after waste prevention, re-use and recycling. WtE plants treat waste hygienically, reduce its volume by about 90%, and enable the recovery of energy contained in the waste through the generation of electricity and /or thermal energy (steam or hot water). The electricity is fed into the power grid to supply the end-users; depending on local infrastructure, the hot water can be used for District Energy network to heat (or cool) homes, hospitals, offices etc.; and the steam can be used by nearby industries for their production processes.
The Local Government implements a set of integrated measures to deploy solar hot water in private buildings and facilities in the community within its jurisdiction. The local government uses its regulatory power as the main leverage to approve or amend a municipal building code that requires (new) buildings to use solar hot water (SHW) systems – Solar Ordinance.
This solution caters to local governments that have the mandate to manage stormwater in a city. It addresses the management of rainfall and runoff from public open spaces and transport infrastructure. The management of runoff from residential, commercial and institutional buildings are covered in a separate Solution as a different approach is required for areas under private ownership.
Construction and land development within a built-up area or existing community, including building on vacant or underutilized spots and reuse of old or blighted sites and buildings. Type of urban intensification (see Urban Planning Vocab – NOTE: being developed)
Sustainable public procurement (SPP) is the act of purchasing products and services with the lowest environmental and highest positive social impacts, throughout the life-cycle of products and services. [1][3] This includes considering a wide range of characteristics of the products and services procured, such as: the use of non-toxic substances, renewable materials, energy and water consumption during use, as well as disposal, reuse and recycling options at the end of life.
This Solution was tailored to Local Governments who have ownership and/or regulatory authority over the municipal water supply system. In this Solution, the Local Government takes a comprehensive approach throughout the different phases of the system’s project and useful life to decrease water-loss, both due to leakage and ruptures and to unaccounted consumption, from policy setting, project design, and project evaluation criteria to operation, monitoring, and maintenance of the system.
Sludge is the solid waste material, primarily organic in nature which settles out in the residential/municipal wastewater treatment process. When the dewatered and dried sludge undergoes anaerobic digestion, it generates biogas (mostly Methane) which can be collected and used as a source of renewable energy.
Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) is an innovative business model where energy service companies sell or lease solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, usually solar home systems (SHS), to customers in exchange for regular payments via mobile money, cash or scratch cards [1]. Due to the range of packages available, customers can choose from starter kits that supply a few lights and charge cell phones, to larger systems that can power TVs, radios, stoves and small fridges [1][2]. In some cases, if a customer cannot make payments, the energy service provider is able to switch off the system remotely, and switch them on again once payment is made [2
Energy storage refers to technologies that capture one form of energy (usually electrical) when generated and store it as another (chemical, thermal, mechanical or electrochemical) for release when required [1]. Storage is essential for enabling the use of variable renewable energy (vRE) such as solar and wind due to its intermittent nature.
The use of natural refrigerants in Air-Conditioning Systems, in replacement of currently applied refrigerant fluids such as HCFC and HFC (glossary link), offers a way to increase energy efficiency while contributing to climate mitigation and ozone layer protection. Natural refrigerants include substances such as carbon dioxide, ammonia, propane, and other hydrocarbons.
Multilevel governance is an approach to governance from the national to local level which provides a platform for fruitful interaction, joint planning and coordination, all of which are essential to the mutual reinforcement of approaches for addressing climate change, sustainable development, implementation and reporting.