‘Water Sensitive Cities’: Planning and Evaluation of Its Theoretical Application in a Mexican City with High Hydric Stress

Abstract

Cities can be viewed as a source of solutions to environmental problems. The Water-Sensitive Cities (WSC) model is part of the solution when trying to transform the current negative relationship between water and cities, since it has remained at the conceptual level, without evaluating the implications of its application in cities from developing countries. The primary aim of the article is to analyse a potential scenario under the WSC model, seeking an alternative solution to the problems of water availability and supply in cities in semi-arid environments with prominent levels of water stress from the Global South. We selected Aguascalientes City, Mexico, as a case study, and through geospatial analysis, it was possible to generate and assess urban planning strategies for stormwater harvesting and alternative sustainable infrastructure for urban and peri-urban areas. The results show that this analysis would imply a considerable reduction in groundwater extracted for urban consumption in the city, reducing local water stress; however, the various political and social implications intrinsic to the implementation of this model should be considered, as they may represent an obstacle to its execution.