ARID URBAN DELTAS: TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This paper discusses the transformative potential of arid deltas as catalysts for social and environmental urban revitalization. Focusing on the dry urban deltas, characterized by their aridity on the one hand and intermittent flooding on the other, the study addresses neglected river deltas that disrupt urban landscapes, posing flood risks intermittently. Using a comparative research approach across analogous yet different geographical contexts, this paper discusses three case studies in the Eastern Mediterranean, Southern Mediterranean, and the US-Mexican border: Nahariya (Israel), Souse (Tunisia), and Reynosa (Mexico). Each of these case studies is characterized by a dry river delta that is integrated into the urban settings, forming neglected and desolate areas during most of the year and sources of flood hazards during the wet periods. As such, they form a rupture in the urban fabric and everyday life.  In doing so, the paper aims to shift the perception of these arid water sources from urban nuisances to resilient backbones supporting sustainable everyday life. Unique to this study is its focus on the fast-changing transition from dry to overflooded conditions in these contexts, a scenario that remains largely unexplored.

Contrary to prevalent strategies dealing with water abundance or scarcity, this paper advocates for recognizing the hidden potential of arid delta rivers within urban environments. It emphasizes leveraging these overlooked resources to create vibrant urban ecosystems, which is crucial for mitigating climate challenges and fostering social inclusivity. Accordingly, the main research question this paper sets to explore is how could the arid water source which flows through the city be transformed from an urban nuisance and hazard into a resilient backbone supporting an environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive everyday urban life.

Embracing the “living with water” approach (de Jong, van Rooy and Hosper, 1995), the paper first discusses how one lives with water, when there is either little or too much of it. Therefore, the emphasis is on using these desolate areas to contain and manage flooding during the wet seasons while functioning as the centre of urban activities during the dry seasons, i.e., most of the year. Relying on the conjecture that walkability, social interaction, biodiversity, and communal multi-functional green spaces form the pillars of a healthy and sustainable city, this project relies on four layers of interventions – water, community, city, and ecology, each with its set of spatial tools, which we are applying both on the macro and micro level; making sure that all layers are present throughout the town. To merge these layers into a consistent planning strategy, this project endorses a data-based approach that relies on user patterns, seasonal flow rates and water velocity, connectivity, visibility, greenery, and land use, which corresponds with the aforementioned layers. In doing so, we are proposing a methodology that generates a variety of spatial interventions, according to the prioritized proportion between the different layers.

The project's significance lies in addressing the vulnerabilities of dry urban deltas in the face of urbanization, population growth, and climate change. By advocating for transformative data-based solutions that integrate social sustainability, urban livability, and resilient water management, the project fills a crucial research gap in the under-explored setting of arid urban deltas. Consequently, it brings forward a new theoretical and methodological framework that could be applied in a variety of comparable contexts, supporting current and future climate change challenges while contributing to social inclusion and urban livability.