Advancing equitable health and well-being across urban–rural sustainable infrastructure systems

Pearsall, Hamil; Gutiérrez-Vélez, Víctor Hugo; Gilbert, Melissa R.; Hoque, Shamia; Eakin, Hallie; Brondízio, Eduardo S.; Solecki, William; Toran, Laura; Baka, Jennifer; Behm, Jocelyn E.; Brelsford, Christa; Hinrichs, Clare; Henry, Kevin A.; Mennis, Jeremy; Roman, Lara A.; Rosan, Christina D.; South, Eugenia C.; Valletta, Rachel D.

doi:10.1038/s42949-021-00028-8

Cited by 25 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…The development and management of sustainable metropolitan sanitation infrastructure must focus on interactions across urban and rural environments. A research agenda focusing on urban-rural infrastructure systems, decision-making, institutional arrangements and effective co-production of knowledge is a priority for better knowledge of the complex socio-political limitations for sustainable and equitable sanitation in developing countries [53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Simple Method for Identifying Appropriate Areas for Onsite Wastewater Treatment

Iribarnegaray

Correa

Sorani

et al. 2021

Water

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Onsite Domestic Wastewater Treatment Systems (ODWTS) are increasingly important for treating domestic wastewater in metropolitan contexts, especially in suburban sectors isolated from sewer networks and centralized treatment plants. When ODWTS are not correctly planned and located in suitable places, or are not properly designed, they can cause groundwater contamination and generate risks for human health. This work presents a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) to zone specific areas based on a few simple parameters. The proposed tool can be easily adapted to different contexts, even where institutional capacities are low. Results obtained in the metropolitan area of the Lerma Valley (Salta, Argentina) show strong contradictions between our zoning and current urbanization features in the study area. As a result, environmental impacts and health hazards are likely to manifest in the short or medium term. The sectors with the best receptivity conditions were found in the southern sector of the study area. We argue that ODWTS can be safely implemented in many areas as long as this concept is embedded in urban planning initiatives, which usually also require the consolidation or development of appropriate institutions and control systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Simple Method for Identifying Appropriate Areas for Onsite Wastewater Treatment

Iribarnegaray

Correa

Sorani

et al. 2021

Water

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“…Fifty years ago, basic water treatment was the focus, but water systems face different challenges today: aging infrastructure, capital financing, long‐term supply availability, and watershed protection, just to name a few priorities from an industry survey (AWWA, 2022). The challenges are especially pronounced for small, rural water systems that are understaffed and underfunded relative to their larger, urban counterparts (McDonald et al., 2014; Pearsall et al., 2021). Groundwater quantity and quality need more attention as aquifers have been too overdrawn with too little governance (Petersen‐Perlman et al., 2018).…”

Section: Origin and Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Safe Drinking Water Act at 50: A Policy Model for Grand Challenges

Sowby

2023

Water Resources Research

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Since its passage in 1974, the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) has become a pillar of water resources engineering, utility management, and public health policy. Complementing other environmental legislation from the same period, SDWA set standards for drinking water suppliers, service, and quality and has made an unmistakable positive impact on U.S. communities for the past 50 years. While drinking water faces different specific challenges today, the general principles established by SDWA are the same. Its success may be attributed to its broad political commitment at the federal level, firm enforcement at the state level, and dutiful execution at the local (public water supplier) level—all while customers know exactly what to expect—thus creating clear accountability for safe water. Just as SDWA helped resolve last century’s drinking water problems, it may serve as a policy model for addressing this century’s grand challenges.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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“…Infrastructure systems are a vital component of the built environment because they deliver services for sustaining human life. Infrastructure directly impacts the health and wellbeing of communities by enabling mobility and providing access to healthcare, economic opportunities, energy, clean water, food, information, and many other resources [1]. Physical infrastructure may include roads, pipelines, information, and communication technologies, and many infrastructure sectors are co-dependent on other sectors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While studies around the world have illustrated inequities associated with infrastructure systems, metropolitan areas and their connections across urban and rural systems remain understudied [1]. The benefits of infrastructure are unevenly distributed across the urban and rural places connected by these systems [1,[18][19][20]. There is a need to investigate the unevenness of benefits and burdens across urban-rural systems by considering a more nuanced conceptualization of the regional geography than 'urban and the other' [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Measuring Equity through Spatial Variability of Infrastructure Systems across the Urban-Rural Gradient

Sen

Pearsall

Gutiérrez-Vélez

et al. 2021

Land

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Recent regional research has taken an ‘infrastructure turn’ where scholars have called for examining the transformative ability of different infrastructures in causing systemic inequities beyond the spatial conception of ‘urban and the other’. This research examines the interconnected impact of infrastructure systems on existing spatial inequities through a study in metropolitan Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This study investigates whether the urban-rural (U-R) gradient concept can enhance understanding of the spatial relationship between socioeconomic indicators and infrastructure systems. Indicators of spatial inequalities were regressed against infrastructure variables and imperviousness, as a proxy for the U-R gradient, using multivariate and spatial regression methods. The models show that imperviousness has a positive correlation with the concentration of racialized minorities and a negative correlation with access to health insurance. The study also shows that the predictive power of multiple infrastructures varies across space and does not adhere to urban boundaries or the U-R gradient. The complex interactions among different infrastructures shape inequities and require further inquiry in urban regions around the world.

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Advancing equitable health and well-being across urban–rural sustainable infrastructure systems

Cited by 25 publications

References 76 publications

A Simple Method for Identifying Appropriate Areas for Onsite Wastewater Treatment

A Simple Method for Identifying Appropriate Areas for Onsite Wastewater Treatment

The Safe Drinking Water Act at 50: A Policy Model for Grand Challenges

Measuring Equity through Spatial Variability of Infrastructure Systems across the Urban-Rural Gradient

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