Contribution of Urban Water Supply to Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Smith, Kate; Liu, Shuming; Chang, Tian-Sheuan

doi:10.1111/jiec.12290

Cited by 26 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Key factors determining the emissions intensity of water supply are (a) electricity use and (b) the energy mix used to generate electricity (Smith & Liu, 2019). The emissions intensity of water supply in China is higher than three areas listed in Table 1—Oslo, Toronto, and New Zealand—which is mainly due to China's high emission factor for electricity generation compared with Norway, Canada, and New Zealand (Smith & Liu, 2019; Smith, Liu, & Chang, 2016). These three countries rely greatly on hydropower, wind power, or nuclear power, whereas China relies mostly on coal (Smith & Liu, 2019; Smith, Liu, & Chang, 2016).…”

Section: Drinking Water Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with urban water infrastructure: What we have learnt from China's practice

Zhang

Smith²,

Zhao

et al. 2021

WIREs Water

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Municipal water and wastewater services have complicated sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and quantifying their roles is critical for tackling global environmental challenges. In this study we provide a systematic review of the state‐of‐the‐art on GHG emission characterizations of China's urban water infrastructure with the aim of shedding light on global implications for sustainable development. We started by synthesizing a framework on GHG emissions associated with water and wastewater infrastructure. Then we analyzed the different sources of GHG emissions in drinking water and wastewater treatment systems. In drinking water services, electricity consumption is the largest source of GHG emissions. A particular concern in China is the common use of secondary pumping for high‐rise buildings. Optimized pressure management with an efficient pumping system should be prioritized. In wastewater services, non‐CO2 emissions such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions are substantial, but vary greatly depending on regional and technological differences. Further research directions may include GHG inventory development for urban water systems at the plant level, quantifications of GHG emissions from sewer systems, emission reduction measures via water reclamation, renewable energy recovery, energy efficiency improvement, cost–benefit analyses, and characterizations of Scope 3 emissions. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change Engineering Water > Planning Water

show abstract

Section: Drinking Water Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with urban water infrastructure: What we have learnt from China's practice

Zhang

Smith²,

Zhao

et al. 2021

WIREs Water

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…of droughts, flood prone areas, precipitation and temperature. The urban water system contributes to climate change in terms of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption, water and wastewater treatment, and discharge [78,91].…”

Section: Climate Change and Water-related Hazardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The growing threat of urban flooding has been a critical test of cities' resilience in the face of climate change [94]. Flood-prone areas need protection and proactive measures to mitigate the risks [89,91].…”

Section: Climate Change and Water-related Hazardsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Urban Water Security: Definition and Assessment Framework

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Achieving urban water security is a major challenge for many countries. While several studies have assessed water security at a regional level, many studies have also emphasized the lack of assessment of water security and application of measures to achieve it at the urban level. Recent studies that have focused on measuring urban water security are not holistic, and there is still no agreed-upon understanding of how to operationalize and identify an assessment framework to measure the current state and dynamics of water security. At present, there is also no clearly defined and widely endorsed definition of urban water security. To address this challenge, this study provides a systematic approach to better understand urban water security, with a working definition and an assessment framework to be applied in peri-urban and urban areas. The proposed working definition of urban water security is based on the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goal on water and sanitation and the human rights on water and sanitation. It captures issues of urban-level technical, environmental, and socio-economic indicators that emphasize credibility, legitimacy, and salience. The assessment framework depends on four main dimensions to achieve urban water security: Drinking water and human beings, ecosystem, climate change and water-related hazards, and socio-economic factors (DECS). The framework further enables the analysis of relationships and trade-off between urbanization and water security, as well as between DECS indicators. Applying this framework will help governments, policy-makers, and water stakeholders to target scant resources more effectively and sustainably. The study reveals that achieving urban water security requires a holistic and integrated approach with collaborative stakeholders to provide a meaningful way to improve understanding and managing urban water security.

show abstract

“…At the same time, ensuring safe drinking water and safe wastewater treatment and disposal also contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, since the different water utilities, which are the companies or institutions responsible for managing water and wastewater, are particularly energy intensive [9]. Water losses can imply even higher energy consumption, and methane or nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment plants can increase the carbon footprint of the water sector [10].…”

Section: Water Reclamation With Resource Recovery As Key Nexus Potentialmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To make a comparison between Leh's current figure in terms of GHG emissions in the water supply scheme and other countries or cities, data were taken from the literature review, were normalized, and compared according to the GHG emissions per m 3 of supplied water. The current scheme in Leh shows the second highest value of GHG emissions per m 3 of supplied drinking water in comparison to China [10], the United Kingdom [98], the United States [99], Durban in South Africa [100], and Oslo in Norway [101]. This could be explained, similarly to Australia, by the energetic mix in both locations, which is based on burning fossil fuels to cover the energy requirements, diesel fuel in the case of Leh, and coal and oil in the case of Australia [102].…”

mentioning

confidence: 92%

Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Centralized and Decentralized Water Reclamation with Resource Recovery Strategies in Leh Town, Ladakh, India, and Potential for Their Reduction in Context of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus

Lahmouri

Drewes

Gondhalekar

2019

Water

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With the constant increase of population and urbanization worldwide, stress on water, energy, and food resources is growing. Climate change constitutes a source of vulnerability, raising the importance of implementing actions to mitigate it. Within this, the water and wastewater sector represents an important source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, during both the construction and operation phase. The scope of this study is to analyze the GHG emissions from the current and future water supply scheme, as well as to draw a comparison between possible water reclamation with resource recovery scenarios in the town Leh in India: a centralized scheme, a partly centralized combined with a decentralized scheme, and a household level approach. Precise values of emission factors, based on the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, previous studies, and Ecoinvent database, have been adopted to quantify the different emissions. Potential sources of reduction of GHG emissions through sludge and biogas utilization have been identified and quantified to seize their ability to mitigate the carbon footprint of the water and wastewater sector. The results show that the future water supply scheme will lead to a significant increase of the GHG emissions during its operation. Further, it is shown that decentralizing wastewater management in Leh town has the least carbon footprint during both construction and operation phases. These results have implications for cities worldwide.

show abstract

Contribution of Urban Water Supply to Greenhouse Gas Emissions in China

Cited by 26 publications

References 33 publications

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with urban water infrastructure: What we have learnt from China's practice

Greenhouse gas emissions associated with urban water infrastructure: What we have learnt from China's practice

Urban Water Security: Definition and Assessment Framework

Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Centralized and Decentralized Water Reclamation with Resource Recovery Strategies in Leh Town, Ladakh, India, and Potential for Their Reduction in Context of the Water–Energy–Food Nexus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About