Strasbourg and SDEA join the water-wise movement

The French city of Strasbourg and the regional provider of drinking water and sanitation services, the Syndicat des Eaux et de l’Assainissement Alsace-Moselle (SDEA) assert their commitment to work towards a sustainable water future in their territory by endorsing the IWA Principles for Water-wise Cities. IWA, Astee Grand Est and Eurometropolis of Strasbourg have joined forces to encourage communities in the Greater East region to adopt and sign the IWA Principles. The signing ceremony took place during CYCL’EAU, hosted by Jean-Luc Bertand-Krajewski, IWA Representative and Bruno Pellerin, President of Astee Grand Est.

The Principles for Water-Wise Cities have been mobilising local governments, urban professionals, and individuals around a shared vision to increase resilience in their cities. Since their launch in 2016 at the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, twenty-nine urban regions have endorsed the Principles, recognizing the importance of collaboratively planning water systems with increased modularity and reduced dependencies to enhance our future cities’ ability to react to unforeseen events and the uncertainties of climate change.

* Individual endorsements will be reflected upon further coordination

Bathed by the waters of the River Rhine, Grand Est region’s capital Strasbourg has also been graced with a relatively abundant water resource thanks to the Alsace groundwater table. To continue ensuring the various water uses now and into the future, however, Strasbourg is working hard to preserve its quality. An increasing densification of the population compromises the management of stormwater during heavy rainfall events, so encouraging rainwater infiltration has made it high in the city’s agenda, as it will simultaneously serve to address other priorities, such as reducing flood risks, reintroducing nature and biodiversity to cities, and fighting heat islands.

With this signing, the water-wise initiative continues building momentum in France. Lyon, Paris, Centre Val de Loire, Ile-de-France, Rhône-Alpes, and now Strasbourg, have become signatories of the IWA Principles for Water-wise Cities, rallying urban stakeholders to undertake actions to improve resilience to floods, droughts and the challenges of growing water scarcity, and to integrate water in city planning to provide increased liveability, efficiencies, and a sense of place for urban communities.

“As extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change become more severe and frequent, city-to-city exchanges on best practices to adapt to their associated risks is vital. Cities endorsing the Principles are becoming part of a water-wise network that can support each other in actively preparing for and finding solutions to urban water management challenges,” said Corinne Trommsdorff, IWA Manager, Cities of the Future Programme.

Do you recognise yourself in these Principles and want to join a collective movement? Endorse the IWA Principles and see how to further engage with urban leaders with a stake on water.

Photo: Jean-Luc Bertrand-Krajewski (in the middle), IWA member, during the signing of the IWA Principles for Water-wise Cities in Strasbourg.