Integrating NBS in a systemic approach ©2019 Ooze Architects
City of 1,000 Tanks Design Principles
The City of 1,000 Tanks programme includes a regional, metropolitan vision and strategy that defines principles and guidelines of how to integrate nature based solutions (NBS) and natural processes locally into the urban fabric in order to prevent droughts, floods and pollution and at the same time to supply drinking water and reusable recycled water. The programme envisages a time scale of the next 10 years in order to anticipate the growth of the inner city within its boundaries (from FSI 1.5 to FSI 2.3) as well as the growth on the peri urban area.
NBS address specific objective functions, tasks and problems. Generally, they are involved with delivering ecosystem services in a broad sense. The City of 1,000 Tanks project adopts NBS to supply technology for decentralised water treatment solutions. The mission is to treat multiple sources of polluted water to levels suitable for recycling, groundwater recharge and land application.
Field of operation and feedback loops ©2019 Ooze Architects
GOVERNANCE - MANAGEMENT - IMPLEMENTATION
The City of 1,000 Tanks is an incremental program, which allows for flexibility both during and following implementation. Flexibility gives room for comprehensive and inclusive solutions rather than fixed plans at odds with a local context. It also gives room for innovations to occur. For these reasons the implementation plan is a series of steps with increasing scale; as the program progresses, some parts are built and tested while others gestate.
Yesterday’s siloed, short-term and reactive approaches have created today’s problems. Future approaches need to be comprehensive, inclusive, integrative, long-term, and nature-inclusive. Learning-by-doing gives a reality check by partnering global sustainable development goals with what is happening on the ground. Re-connecting Chennai’s disrupted flows of water requires an integrated systems approach with combined actions and measures addressing the entire water system to achieve city-wide benefits. This process is realised by the City of 1,000 Tanks Programme approach.
Engagement strategies ©2019 Ooze Architects