Changes and barriers on the path to water-sensitive cities in Israel Dr. Shula Goulden Porter School of Environmental Studies, TAU & Faculty of Architecture & Town Planning, Technion Institute of Technology

Research team: Prof. Tal Alon Mozes, Dr. Michelle Portman, Prof Research team: Prof. Tal Alon Mozes, Dr. Michelle Portman, Prof. Naomi Carmon, Dr. Shula Goulden, Arch. Elissa Rosenberg, Nadav Shapira Goal: Evaluation of WSUD policies and practices in Israel 1. Review and analyse the implementation of WSUD practices within the Israeli planning context 2. Produce recommendations for the improvement of policies that can lead to greater adoption of stormwater BMPs, including impediments and supports Sub-project P4.1: Understanding Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) in the Israeli Context: Policy aspects

Elements of “sustainable stormwater management” Conventional drainage Sustainable stormwater management Attitudes Control and remove stormwater Handle extreme events Resource for humans and nature Manage day-to-day and extreme events Goals Avoid flooding, pollution, erosion Multiple goals (water; ecology; social; economic) Measures Rapid removal in urban areas with constructed infrastructure Slowing runoff, conveyance, detention, infiltration, biological and mechanical treatment; floodplain management Professional roles Drainage engineers design infrastructure Professional cooperation from early stages in order to influence design Elements of “sustainable stormwater management”

Many factors play a part: Changes in regulation and plans How do we analyse supports and barriers to sustainable stormwater management? Sustainability discourse Technical knowledge Availability of technologies Water management goals Legal responsibility and jurisdictions Civil society impact Professional adaptation technical social

The study CULTURAL-COGNITIVE awareness, knowledge, goals Analysis of changes across three institutional pillars (based on Ferguson et al, 2013) CULTURAL-COGNITIVE awareness, knowledge, goals NORMATIVE professional norms, training REGULATIVE laws, plans, responsibility From 1990 to present day A change to sustainable storwmater management requires all three. The study

Findings in detail

FINDINGS CULTURAL-COGNITIVE CHANGES Academic research points to need for groundwater infiltration and potential of water-sensitive planning Stormwater management (vs. drainage) increasingly accepted in drainage authorities Increasing awareness of urban sustainability in municipalities, NGOs, public Government decision on sustainable development strategy (2003) 2010 2000

FINDINGS NORMATIVE CHANGES End 90s – stormwater management workshop for drainage authorities and other professionals Increasing norm of professional cooperation and stormwater considerations in all stages of planning – niche? Guide on run-off conserving construction מרדיך תכנון ובנייה משמרת נגר (2004) – implementation? Emphasis on infiltration in practice – other goals? 2010 2000

FINDINGS REGULATORY CHANGES Stormwater planning guidelines – Tel Aviv and Central District Planning Committees National Outline Plan 34/b/4 – infiltration requirements (2007) – professional capacity? 1957 Drainage and Storm Protection Law still in force 2010 2000

Socio-institutional changes have occurred, mostly in awareness and discourse ( “hazard  resource”), some professional standards and statutory plans. However, changes support a focus on an infiltration/groundwater replenishment paradigm (based on earlier water management concerns). Water resource management has changed (desalination, high rates of wastewater treatment) alongside greater environmental awareness Multi-functional, multi-disciplinary approaches restricted to certain case studies. Conclusions

Barriers and Recommendations Focus on infiltration Develop consensus on stormwater benefits at different geographical scales Greater public awareness and inclusion of SWM as key factor in urban sustainability programs Broaden statutory plans (תמ"א) and other guidelines with emphasis on multiple benefits Limited professional training and emphasis on cooperation. Widespread planning changes require professional expertise Professional training on planning and engineering approaches Emphasis on role of professionals in change Drainage Law and outdated regulation Update to law, to anchor the change in discourse Enhanced cooperation between national, regional (drainage authorities) and local authorities Water regime: lack of responsibility and incentive for local authorities to manage stormwater Incentives for local authorities; raised public awareness Barriers and Recommendations

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