Integrated approach

The countries around the North Sea frequently face similar problems in managing water in an urban environment. However, the approaches they adopt to tackle these problems often differ considerably. The solutions range from highly effective to completely missing the mark. An integrated approach to managing water problems in urban areas is therefore clearly needed.

The Urban Water Cycle project aims to tackle urban water problems more efficiently and effectively by developing and exchanging technologies, methods and, in particular, organisational structures:

Ultimately the project aims to answer two crucial questions:

1. How can we improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the urban water flow?

2. How can we translate the problems of urban water into a positive factor for society and the water system?

To answer these questions, five themes crucial to the development of a sustainable urban water management have been defined. These will form the framework for knowledge exchange. This knowledge will be acquired in concrete projects and experiments, selected for their specific contribution to these five themes.