Page 7 - Sustainable Urban Development: Necessity of Integrating Water-Energy-Food Dimensions in Developmental Policies
P. 7
Policy Brief
aiding in controlling urban floods. This will increase country Global Hunger Index19. Still, significant
the availability of water for residential areas food wastage accompanies the conferences,
together with reducing the energy consumption weddings, parties, canteens, restaurants,
in transporting water to upstream locations. bhandaras, households, social and family functions
Adopting a watershed based planning shall be in urban India. Food wastage is associated with loss
made mandatory for smart city bidders under of water and electricity used in the production,
Redevelopment (replacement of existing built processing and transportation. Mandatory audits
up environment) and Greenfield development and guidelines for such commercial establishments
(develop a vacant area)15 components of Smart can assert the significance of avoiding food wastage.
Cities Mission. Decentralized waste to energy systems:
Decentralized market system: Significant Waste to energy is promoted through Smart
amountofenergyandtransportationcostisinvolved Cities Mission to manage urban waste. While cost-
in buying retail items from a centralized wholesale intensive centralized systems are important to
market which is generally far from the residential manage non-biodegradable wastes, biodegradable
areas in big cities. This also leads to higher inflation waste from colonies/ housing societies can be
as delivery costs to the customer tend to rise due managed more efficiently through local waste to
to centralized market system 16 17. Therefore, it is energy systems such as digestive chambers and
suggested to provide with decentralized market gasifiers etc. This should be promoted through
system, warehouses and wholesale markets for appropriate incentives and regulatory instruments.
vegetables and other household items which will Behavioral change towards sustainable food
reduce both the food wastage as well as energy consumption habit: Behavioral changes are
in transportation. Moreover, public distribution indispensable for sustainable development. Public
system for vegetables like ‘Safal system’ in Delhi awareness and sensitization campaigns, through
shall be replicated in other cities also. Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs), civil
Resource efficient consumer appliances society organizations (CSOs) and volunteers can
which includes kitchen based appliances, water play an important role in inculcating the optimized
efficient faucets and piping systems need to resource usage as part of modern lifestyles.
be promoted through adequate incentives.
Mandatory requirement of Star rating for frost Concluding Remarks
free refrigerators by Bureau of Energy Efficiency
should be extended for other kitchen appliances Water-energy-food nexus is not a new concept but
like microwaves and induction stoves. Similarly, awareness about its importance, and benefits which
water efficiency labeling should be promoted to could be accrued through their integrated management
ensure the judicious use of water. Water Efficiency has grown in recent years. India needs to work on
Labeling and Standards (WELS)18 Scheme by the several areas to achieve its developmental goals amidst
Government of Australia presents an excellent challenges of scarce water, energy and food resources.
example demonstrating that water efficiency The Central Government has pioneered through
ratings can save money as well as increase the various policies, plans and guidelines to bring reforms
water use efficiency. for improving facilities at city level but these programs
Reducing food wastage at social gatherings need to be analysed and reoriented on integrated
and household level: India ranks 80 in a 104 solutions to meet the basic needs of the growing
and burgeoning urban population. Development of
15 MoUD,GoI (2015). Smart Cities: Mission Statement and Guidelines. an integrated management framework and linking
Accessed on July 4 2016 at http://smartcities.gov.in/writereaddata/ of infrastructure and smart solution schemes related
SmartCityGuidelines.pdf. to water, energy and food, within the ambit of city
development plans will facilitate ‘Sustainable Urban
16 https://www.dhl-discoverlogistics.com/cms/en/course/management/ Development’ of Indian cities.
logistical_net_plan/degree.jsp
19 http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Mediathek/
17 Shah.J (2009).Supply Chain Management: text and cases. New Delhi, Welthunger-Index/WHI_2015/global-hunger-index_2015_english.pdf
Pearson Education.
18 http://www.waterrating.gov.au/consumers/water-efficiency
OCTOBER 2016 7
aiding in controlling urban floods. This will increase country Global Hunger Index19. Still, significant
the availability of water for residential areas food wastage accompanies the conferences,
together with reducing the energy consumption weddings, parties, canteens, restaurants,
in transporting water to upstream locations. bhandaras, households, social and family functions
Adopting a watershed based planning shall be in urban India. Food wastage is associated with loss
made mandatory for smart city bidders under of water and electricity used in the production,
Redevelopment (replacement of existing built processing and transportation. Mandatory audits
up environment) and Greenfield development and guidelines for such commercial establishments
(develop a vacant area)15 components of Smart can assert the significance of avoiding food wastage.
Cities Mission. Decentralized waste to energy systems:
Decentralized market system: Significant Waste to energy is promoted through Smart
amountofenergyandtransportationcostisinvolved Cities Mission to manage urban waste. While cost-
in buying retail items from a centralized wholesale intensive centralized systems are important to
market which is generally far from the residential manage non-biodegradable wastes, biodegradable
areas in big cities. This also leads to higher inflation waste from colonies/ housing societies can be
as delivery costs to the customer tend to rise due managed more efficiently through local waste to
to centralized market system 16 17. Therefore, it is energy systems such as digestive chambers and
suggested to provide with decentralized market gasifiers etc. This should be promoted through
system, warehouses and wholesale markets for appropriate incentives and regulatory instruments.
vegetables and other household items which will Behavioral change towards sustainable food
reduce both the food wastage as well as energy consumption habit: Behavioral changes are
in transportation. Moreover, public distribution indispensable for sustainable development. Public
system for vegetables like ‘Safal system’ in Delhi awareness and sensitization campaigns, through
shall be replicated in other cities also. Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs), civil
Resource efficient consumer appliances society organizations (CSOs) and volunteers can
which includes kitchen based appliances, water play an important role in inculcating the optimized
efficient faucets and piping systems need to resource usage as part of modern lifestyles.
be promoted through adequate incentives.
Mandatory requirement of Star rating for frost Concluding Remarks
free refrigerators by Bureau of Energy Efficiency
should be extended for other kitchen appliances Water-energy-food nexus is not a new concept but
like microwaves and induction stoves. Similarly, awareness about its importance, and benefits which
water efficiency labeling should be promoted to could be accrued through their integrated management
ensure the judicious use of water. Water Efficiency has grown in recent years. India needs to work on
Labeling and Standards (WELS)18 Scheme by the several areas to achieve its developmental goals amidst
Government of Australia presents an excellent challenges of scarce water, energy and food resources.
example demonstrating that water efficiency The Central Government has pioneered through
ratings can save money as well as increase the various policies, plans and guidelines to bring reforms
water use efficiency. for improving facilities at city level but these programs
Reducing food wastage at social gatherings need to be analysed and reoriented on integrated
and household level: India ranks 80 in a 104 solutions to meet the basic needs of the growing
and burgeoning urban population. Development of
15 MoUD,GoI (2015). Smart Cities: Mission Statement and Guidelines. an integrated management framework and linking
Accessed on July 4 2016 at http://smartcities.gov.in/writereaddata/ of infrastructure and smart solution schemes related
SmartCityGuidelines.pdf. to water, energy and food, within the ambit of city
development plans will facilitate ‘Sustainable Urban
16 https://www.dhl-discoverlogistics.com/cms/en/course/management/ Development’ of Indian cities.
logistical_net_plan/degree.jsp
19 http://www.welthungerhilfe.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Mediathek/
17 Shah.J (2009).Supply Chain Management: text and cases. New Delhi, Welthunger-Index/WHI_2015/global-hunger-index_2015_english.pdf
Pearson Education.
18 http://www.waterrating.gov.au/consumers/water-efficiency
OCTOBER 2016 7
