Advancing Water Sustainability in Megacities: Comparative Study of São Paulo and Delhi Using a Social-Ecological System Framework

Abstract

In this paper, we frame the problem of urban water sustainability in megacities as a social-ecological system (SES) to examine the underlying coupling of social and ecological factors and processes. Based on our empirical research of two major megacities of the global south, São Paulo and Delhi, we have developed an urban water SES module within the broader SES framework proposed by Ostrom. The module’s multilevel nested structure consists of the following four subsystems: water resource and infrastructure, settlements, governance, and actors. A distinct advantage of our module is that it enables us to capture the plurality of settlements patterns (from formal to informal settlements), actor networks, and governance patterns found in cities of the global south and how these uniquely shape and are shaped by the process of rapid urbanization. We use this module as: (a) an analytical tool to identify the different variables and processes within each subsystem, which through their interactions, have influenced the trajectory of water systems in these cities; (b) a diagnostic tool in a comparative setting to examine why desired goals in terms of service delivery and/or governance were achieved (or not); and (c) a prescriptive tool to identify cross-learnings and practical lessons.

Water Governance in Mediterranean Farming Systems through the Social-Ecological Systems Framework—An Empirical Case in Southern Portugal

“…These variables were selected based on many empirical studies that demonstrate how they affect interactions and outcomes, moving the SES closer to or further from sustainability [25]. The SES framework has been used in studies related to water use and management focused on irrigation [29][30][31], aquaculture [32,33], water public supply management [34][35][36], and water availability for human supply [37][38][39].…”

“…Active monitoring systems are important but difficult when the limits of the water system are unclear. The SES framework has been used in studies related to water use and management focused on irrigation [29][30][31], aquaculture [32,33], water public supply management [34][35][36], and water availability for human supply [37][38][39].…”

Governing sustainable transformations of urban social-ecological-technological systems

“…These shocks, in conjunction with unsustainable urban developments, pose challenges for cities, exposing their vulnerabilities and inadequate management paradigms 2,3 . For example, extreme water shortages in São Paulo have resulted from a confluence of increasing water demand, encroachment on urban watersheds, and deforestation in the Amazon 4,5 . These shortages have different impacts on urban dwellers in central and peripheral neighborhoods, disproportionately affecting already marginalized communities 6 .…”