Urban Water Management in Beijing and Copenhagen: Sustainability, Climate Resilience, and the Local Water Balance: Tackling Environmental and Sustainability Challenges

Cities play a critical role for the sustainable management of planetary freshwater. At the same time, cities need to adapt to climate change. This offers cities an opportunity to improve freshwater management. In this chapter, the authors describe the status of urban water management in Beijing and Copenhagen, from the standpoint of sustainable development and climate resilience. In particular, they look into the degree to which the local water balance has been displaced. They review key water challenges and instruments in both cities, as well as related governance aspects. They consider the potential impact of these instruments and the relevance of a green infrastructure (GI) approach, as well as the potential for improving urban sustainability governance. A special focus is on the role of GI for retracking the city towards sustainable urban water management and climate resilience.