Urban development and climate change

Sustainable development through River Restoration

Before

After

Submitted byShraddha Bahirat

Introduction
One of the most pre-dominant factors for selection of site for
establishing permanent settlements since ages
It has been a source of

Water

Foo
d

Hydropower

Transport

To dispose
waste

River Restoration

 It has acted as major part of

peoples social and cultural
life, thus making it
an
integral
part
of
their
lifestyle.
And habitat sustaining green
corridors in the city, thus
maintaining the ecology and
temperatures around it.
However the river channels
have been harnessed and
modified
to
suit
the
requirements of the growing
settlements.

Rivers
have
been
straightened and culverted
to provide flood protection
and to make maximum use
of land for housing, industry
Disturbed the ecological balance and disrupted the riverine
and agricultural use.
systems and their functions

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Aim and Objective

Aim:
The study endeavours to analyse through case studies and
examples of river restoration the impact of restoration on the
social, economic and ecological life in the city and how the
restoration of rivers has impacted the improvement in climate
of the city.

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Understanding Rivers, Water

shed and stream orders

A watershed is the land area

drained by a particular stream
or river.
Small streams join to form
larger streams in a branching
pattern that forms a drainage
network.
Therefore, larger watersheds
are made up of a joining of
smaller watersheds.
The different channels draining
these
watersheds
can
be
designated
by
how
many
tributaries they have or by
order.

River Restoration

First order stream channel has no

tributaries, when two first order streams
join; they create a second-order stream.
When two second order streams join they
create a third order stream and so on.
One can designate a stream by its order
to get the concept of the size of the
drainage area concerned.
Stream drainages follow the lowest
topography and form valleys and become
separated from each other by ridges or
divides.

A cross
section of a
river corridor

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Two types of floodplains:

Hydrologic floodplain, the land adjacent to the baseflow
channel residing below bankfull elevation. It is inundated about
two years out of three. Not every stream corridor has a hydrologic
floodplain.
Topographic floodplain, the land adjacent to the channel
including the hydrologic floodplain and other lands up to an
elevation based on the elevation reached by a flood peak of a
given frequency (for example, the 100-year floodplain).
100- year and 500-year floodplains are commonly used in the
development of planning and regulation standards.

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The need for River Restoration

Urbanisation has affected

The physical process of river growth
Modified stream structure
Influenced the function of the river
systems

More than 60% of the rivers in the world

have experienced high level of human
modification

Urbanization causes river degradation

due to the amount of impervious
surface area which causes
Increased erosion,
Channel destabilization and
Widening of stream

Leading to loss of
Habitat from channelization
Excessive sedimentation
Increases in temperature and
Reduction in large woody debris
causing more homogeneous in stream

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 Urbanization of watersheds
is
almost
invariably
accompanied by loss and
alteration
of
aquatic
habitats, two of the most
frequently
mentioned
causes
for
losses
of
aquatic biota.
Rapid urbanisation has
resulted in a clear decline
of drainage density and an
obvious
ecological
degradation
in
river
ecosystem.

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 Geographically, there is a shifting of urban land, and the

extent of drainage density decreases from the core of
towns to the outskirts.

Outward expansion of the urban land and the

decrease/ disappearance of the wetland and water
bodies are found to be among the most important driving
forces explaining the ecological degradation in river
ecosystems.

The impact of urbanisation on the water body/ river

can be studied under four categories:
Hydrology
Geomorphology
Water Quality
Habitat

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 Hydrology
The impact of urbanisation on hydrology is evident from the following facts:
1. Disruption of natural water balance
2. Increased flood peaks
3. Increased stromwater runoff
4. More frequent flooding
5. Increased bankfull flows
6. Lower dry weather flow
. The bankfull flooding (or the condition of the flow that fills up the channel)
occurs much more frequently in highly urbanized areas and has the potential
to be extremely erosive and damaging to the natural morphology of the
stream.

The Stream and its floodplain before and after

development

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 Geomorphology
The impact of urbanisation on geomorphology of the river is as
follows:
1. Stream widening & erosion
2. Reduced fish passage
3. Degradation of habitat structure
4. Decreased channel stability
5. Loss of pool-riffle structure
6.
InFragmentation
watershed of
with
lesstree
than
5%
riparian
canopy
impervious
cover stream
are:
7.
Decreased substrate
quality
1. Stable and persitine,
2. Maintaining good pool and riffle
structure
3. A large wetted perimeter during low
flow with a good riparian canopy
coverage.
. 8- 10 % impervious cover the stream
is:
1. Relatively stable however erosion are
more apparent and include loss of the
wetted perimeter
2. More eroded material in the bank and

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 10% impervious cover the

stream is:
Tree roots are exposed and the
pool riffle structure seen in
sensitive streams is lost.
20% impervious cover with
decreased substrate quality due to
more material flushing through the
system. Active erosion becomes
much more evident
The stream having a surrounding
area
of
approximately
30%
impervious cover. The large
amount
of
impervious
cover
increases the size of the stream by
a factor of five to ten.
In many highly urbanised areas,
natural
streams
have
been
channelized to speed runoff along,
but these fail to provide any
habitat value.

Impervious Cover and Surface runoff relationship

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 Water Quality
The impact of urbanisation on the
stream water quality is evident
through the following:
1. Increased stream temperature
2. Increased pollutants
3. Increased risk of shellfish bed/
beach clouser
Once urban development moved
into the floodplain, rivers were
heavily modified to allow maximum
land take and to provide the
subsequent flood protection that
these new developments required.
Hence there is a urgent need to
check the situation for the overall
sustainable development of city.

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What is Restoration? Types of restoration

River restorationdescribes a set of activities that help improve the

environmental health of ariverorstream.
On a larger scale, a restoration project might include the entire floodplain,
removing past structures and restoring more natural processes and
channel forms to the watercourse.
On a smaller scale, restoration might be simply removing the hard banks
and replacing these with more natural features.
Even using systems such as green roofs can contribute to restoration by
enhancing sustainable drainage and biodiversity.

River Restoration

Relation between river restoration and sustainable

development
The major benefits of river restoration
can be classified under three major
heads:
Environmental benefits
Social benefits
Economic benefits
Environmental benefits

Environme
ntal

Social

Economic

Restoring the rivers original form allows

the natural processes of erosion and
deposition which can sustain a rich variety
of aquatic life.
Improving the river corridor
Improving flood storage capacity
Addressing water quality by:
1. Promoting sustainable urban drainage
systems in new developments.
2. Creating green river corridors and buffer
zones through urban centres.
3. Promoting
less-intensive
agricultural
practices.
4. Prosecuting polluters.
5. Improving sewage treatment works.

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 Social benefits
1.Re-establishing natural channel processes
2.Improving wellbeing
3.Balancing community access and the needs of wildlife
4.Providing sustainable transport
5.Educating the community
. Economic benefits
1.Generating sustainable development and attracting business

Thus the major benefits of river restoration in Urban areas

includes:
1.Improved quality of housing and landscape
2.Improved sustainable transport - footpaths and cycleway,
jogging tracks
3.Climate change adaptation and reduction in flood risk
4.Improving the river corridor and green space networks
5.Improving biodiversity
6.Addressing water quality and land drainage

River Restoration

Case Study: 1

Cheonggyecheon Restoration, Seoul, South Korea

Flows through the heart of the city passing through the CBD
and connects the Han river in south
Cuts the city in two distinct parts

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Early 20th Century

The stream was an integral part of the life of the citizens

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 Development of Slums
City faced problems of sanitation
The stream started getting polluted

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 The solution was to cover the

stream in 1958-77
Further with rapid urbanization
and need for transportation
Cheonggyecheon highway was
constructed on the stream .
Followed by construction of
flyovers in the area over the
stream in 1999.

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By 2002

Building: over 6,000

over 100,000 small shops
Nations biggest commercial area
CBD redevelopment stopped where the
Cheonggye Expressway started
Population and employment reduced
Population: 40,000Employment: 80,000
in 10 years
Business headquarters moved to
Gangnam (new sub-center)
Industries in CBD lost competitiveness
Maintenance of the highway and
flyover increased

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The Restoration Process

Restoration Project was

announced on 1st July 2001
Total length: 5.84 km
Restoration of upper reaches of
CGC on a long term basis
Divided into 3 sections to reduce
the construction schedule
Covered structure and highway:
5.4 km
Waste (concrete+asphalt):
872,400ton (96% recycled)

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Design Criteria
Secure the stream capacity for 200 years frequency rainfall
(118mm/hr)
Access to Water: Install sidewalks along the lower level of the
bank
Basic design: secure flood capacity for 200 years frequency
rainfall and introduce lower terrace to enhance easy access to
water

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Sewer System
Combined sewer system for rainfall and wastewater
Capacity : 3 times of estimated wastewater

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Concepts
New green belt with waterfront: West to East
Gradual transformation from urban landscape to natural
environment
Create ecological biotop and environment
Thematic places: waterfall and fountains

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Challenges
Transportation
Neighboring Merchants

hallenge 1: Transportation
Cheonggye road &
highway
Urban backbone
corridor
170,000
vehicles/day
Traffic disaster
warned
Solution
Media, for
transportation
interest
group
Discourage driving cars in the city
Traffic
simulation
centre:
Leave cars at home one out
Project
delay
of 10 days
Improve traffic flow system
One-way streets
Improve public transport:
Bus-only lanes
Downtown shuttle buses

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Challenge 2: Neighboring Merchants

Business decline
Access difficulty: traffic congestion
Worse environment: noise & dust
due to construction
Solutions to merchants
Stimulate business activity
Reduce parking fee
Improve parking system for loading &
unloading
Promote Cheong Gye Cheon stores
Financial support and subsidies
Low-interest loans
Grants for the market remodeling
Special arrangement for street
vendors

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Restoration Progress and Process

Stage 1: Scaffolding (July 2003)

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Stage 2: Highway Demolition (Aug 2003)

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Stage 3: Covered Road demolition (Jan 2004)

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tage 4: Sewer, road and bridge construction (Sep 2004)

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tage 5: Landscaping of the recovered area (May2005)

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May2005 to 1 Oct 2005

Final Finishes and

opening on Oct
2005

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Monitoring
Monitor the changes due to the project from Jan 2003~May
2006 (before, during and after the project)
Environm
Monitoring areas Traffic
Land use
ent
Speed in CBD
Industry
Air: NO: 69.7 to 46.0
15.5 to 3.6 km/hr ( Environment
12.3%)
ppb (-34%)
Ecology
Water quality: BOD:
Morning peak: 17
Traffic
km/hr
100~250 to 1~2 ppm
Public opinion
Noise level reduced
Evening peak: 12
Ripple effect
Heat island effect
km/hr
Car in/out flow
relieved
Wind corrider
1.56M to 1.27M (18.6%)
created
Public transport
Reduction of 3
rider-ship
degrees in
Bus: + 6~10 %
temperature
Subway: + 6~9 %
Thermal Image
27 July, 2005

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ublic Survey by government for environmental improvement

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Changes in Ecology
Insects

15 to 125 species
6 to 36 species

Birds

6 to 25 species
Fishes

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Enhanced Public life

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Case Study: 2

Osho Ecological Park- Osho Teerth, Pune

Famously called the nala
park
An
example
of
how
wastelands
could
be
aesthetically transformed
into parks and could
prove a boon for our town
and cities.
Tastefully
laid
out
Japanese-style garden

The need to restore and revitalize

The site was a piece of barren land.
Analaran through it carrying black sludge.
Used oils was also being disposed into it by the nearby railway
yard.
Human waste from a nearby slum also flowed into it.
Putrid wastes emitted foul smell.

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The process of restoration

The Ashram management took it over in
1989 to revitalise the area.
Thenalaflowed from north to south,
discharging 500 gallons of water a minute
at a particular point.
First a barricade was raised to keep off
the cattle.
It was then meshed off with iron grills to
catch the floating solid garbage once it
entered the proposed park.
The stream was then made to course
like a serpent over the land to allow
maximum oxygenation of water.

It was planted with water hyacinth and

stocked with fish such as gambusia and
silver carp which eat pollutants and
mosquito larvae.

It was then passed through a sand filter.

The oxygenation and filtering made the
water almost 90 per cent pure, perfectly

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 Local contractors were invited to dump

their debris to create hills and dales.
Trees and shrubs that already existed on
the site were pruned.
Helped by Punes climate, the foliage
blossomed into a thick vegetative cover.
With fine hedges and pools and fountains,
the Osho Park serves as an inspiration for
creating an environmental project.
The key element in the planning was
slowing down the water stream in order to
allow the natural cleaning process to be reestablished.
The polluted water was purified naturally,
using holding ponds with selected plants
and stone.

The purified water is distributed

throughout the garden with underground
irrigation.
The sparkling stream flows throughout the
The
revitalisation
length
of the ashram.of the stream and creation of the park has

greatly improved the ecology and the quality of life of the

surrounding areas.

River Restoration

Case Study: 3

abarmati River Front Development

Ahmedabad was established on Sabarmati in
1411
Sabarmati has been an important river for
Ahmedabad:
As a source for drinking water
As a place for recreation
As a place for the poor to build their hutments
Place for washing and drying clothes
A place for holding the traditional Sunday
Market
A place for farming

ditional Sunday Market and as space for recreation

For daily activities

For Framing

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Growth of Ahmedabad along Sabarmati

Source: Sabarmati Riverfront Development, Integrated Environmental Improvement and Urban Revitalization, India Urban
Conference, Mysore, November 2011

The city initially grew along the eastern coast of the river and the development
gradually spread across the river on the western side with the river playing a major part
in the development of the city

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It became a place to dump garbage

Encroachments reduced the rivers

flood carrying capacity

Storm water drains spewed

untreated sewage into the river

Sewage from the slums flowed directly into

the river
A few nalas brought sewage into the river

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Haphazard and dull development came up along the

riverfront

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 The city turned its back to

the river

The river became

insignificant
in
the life of the city

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The river became inaccessible to the public

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 In order to reconnect the city with

the river the first known proposal
for developing the riverfront was
given
in
1961
by
prominentAhmedabadcitizens
and the French architectBernard
Kohn.
A 9km stretch of the riverfront
extending from Subhash bridge
to Vasna barrage was identified
and it was proposed to reclaim
162 hectares (400acres) of the
riverbed.
The
Ahmedabad
Municipal
Corporation (AMC) set up the
Sabarmati
Riverfront
Development
Corporation
Ltd
(SRFDCL) in May 1997.
SRFDCL planned to sell or lease
out a part of it to finance the
project. In 2003, it extended the
project to cover a 20km stretch
from the Narmada main canal to
Vasna barrage.

River Restoration

Main features are the

following:
The reduction of the
riverbed from a variable
width of 600-300 m to a fix
width of 275 m, thus
reclaiming 185 ha of land.
The construction of RCC
diaphragm walls (10-20
m depth) and anchor slabs
(10 m) to prevent the
riverbanks from erosion.
After the finishing the
anchor slab is turned in the
so-called
lower
promenade.

Reduction of river bed

Diaphragm wall and anchor slab

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 The construction of RCC

retaining walls (2.5 - 9 m) to
protect
the
city
from
flooding. The height of the
walls is determined by the 100year flood level. An upper
promenade is created on top
of the retaining walls.

The dredging of the river bed in

order to provide soil for the
filling of the space behind the
RCC retaining walls. At least
67.500
cubic
meters
are
required for the filling.

Construction of retaining wall

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 The
construction
of
interceptor sewers on
both the riverbanks able
to prevent the waste water
to flow directly into the
river and diverting it to the
two sewage treatment
plants
of
Vasna
and
Pirana.

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 The relocation of slum dwellers

and the provision of better living
conditions to them. The first
proposal was to relocate them in
three sites along the riverbanks, but
the plan has changed afterwards
and the relocation sites are now far
from the river.

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The entire length of Sabarmati is returned back to public

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Renewed the surrounding areas

The use of the reclaimed land for private residential and

commercial developments with a view on water to be
sold to finance the project (the percentage has
decreased from 20 to 15% because of the high increase
of the land value), two major roads, one on each
riverbank (30%), gardens (26%), promenades (6%),
informal market (3,6%) and the rest for other public
facilities

Stitched east and west Ahmedabad

Facilitated
improvement of
surrounding
residential
neighborhoods

the
the

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Potential for new formal and informal commercial

development

Potential for new recreational spaces like parks, promenade, open

air theaters etc.

Potential for organizing trade fairs etc. Created a mile of cultural institutes, museums
and hospital facilities

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Restoration of Sabarmati river and by

developing its river front, the thus project
achieves the following goals which it aimed
at
the
conception
of
the
riverfront
development idea:
Elimination of the danger of floods in the
current context of climate change.
Establishment of better hygienic conditions
through a new sewerage system.
Increase the ground water recharge
through the storage of water within the
river bed.
Improvement of the living conditions of the
slum dwellers.
Renewal of the surrounding areas to cater
the future development of the city.

Criticism for the project

The case of the Sabarmati river shows therefore the politics of scale
(Smith, 1984) around which a large debate has risen in the last two
decades. Questioning one of the core issues of the Sabarmati River Front
Development Project - the origin of water - a whole range of new issues
come into the picture.

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Conclusion
River restoration takes into consideration all the aspects of
sustainability like
Ecology and Environment
Economy,
Social life of the citizens,
History and culture of the city
Addresses the growth trends and urbanization
The river restoration in any city not only improves the quality of river and its
ecology but also affects the other sphere of sustainability i.e social and economic
life of the city and its citizens.
Helps to return the valuable land for public use, recreation and general activities
of the citizens;
It creates opportunities to give respect to the heritage and ecology of the city as it
considerably improve the air quality, water quality and the surrounding
environment
It helps to orient development of the city in integration with river.
It regenerates and renews all the precinct around it as it enhance the quality of life
, provides economic boost to the surrounding areas , gives an impetus to improve
Hence
river restoration and appropriate measure to revitalize the
the general economy of the city in larger context and saves the ecology by curbing
surroundings
in the cities
degenerated streams can assist to
the further deterioration
of the having
river.

enhance sustainable development of the city and effectively

contribute to mitigate climate change.

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(n.d.).
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September
Fourth,
2013,
from
http://sustainabilitywriter.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/thecheonggyecheon-river-restoration-project-seoul-south-korea/
Association, D. o. (March, 2004). Ecological River Front Design.
Wasington DC: American Planning Association.
centre, T. r. (January, 2009). London Rivers Action Plan. London.
Habitat, U. (n.d.). Urban patterns for a green economy, working with
nature. Kenya: UN Habitat.
J. L. Cassin & L. Tear, R. F. (n.d.). Sustainable river restoration in urban
streams - using biological indicators to establish environmental flow
targets in the Pacific Northwest.
Khorshed Alam, D. M. (2006). Sustainibility and river restoration. 35 th
Australian Conference of economist (ACE), (pp. 1-21). Perth.
Paukert, J. L. (2009). Urbanization in great plains river: Effects on fishes
and food webs. Wiley inter science, 1-12.
Redondo, M. D. (2003). Social Impact assesment for river restoration: A
more sustainable perspective. Thesis.
Yuan Wen, P. J. (2006). Impact of urbanisation on structure and function of
river system- Case Study of Shanghai,China. Chinese Geographical
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http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11769-006-0002-9.pdf
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9493.00117/abstract

River Restoration

THANK - YOU