Arnaud (2026) Planning circular urban water systems: a Hydrosocial Resource Nexus Framework to support systemic decision-making

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Universitat de Girona Digital Repository (Universitat de Girona)
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-10
• Authors: Nicole Arnaud
• DOI: None

Research Groups

• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Girona
• Institute for Water Research (IRN), University of Girona

Short Summary

This paper proposes a Hydrosocial Resource Urban Nexus (HRUN) framework to integrate circular resource flows, multifunctionality, and socio-environmental justice in urban water management. The framework is tested in the city of Girona, Spain.

Objective

• To develop a planning model that integrates hydrosocial theory with systems analysis and spatial planning for more just and resilient urban water systems

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Urban scale (city of Girona)
• Temporal Scale: Long-term perspective (planning cycle)

Methodology and Data

• Models used: GIS-MCDA, graph-based clustering, risk indicators, socio-environmental criteria
• Data sources: Satellite imagery, observation data, reanalysis datasets

Main Results

• The HRUN framework prioritizes areas for circular water management units based on local vulnerability and appropriate decentralization scales.
• Decentralisation shapes the resilience of drainage, sewage, and water-supply subsystems, with context-sensitive scales for different circularity purposes and spatial settings.

Contributions

• Original value: The paper provides a replicable spatial methodology for evaluating infrastructural synergies and trade-offs in urban water management, linking hydrosocial theory, systems analysis, and spatial planning.
• Contribution to existing literature: The HRUN framework addresses the gaps in current planning models by integrating circular resource flows, multifunctionality, and socio-environmental justice.

Funding

• This research was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 program (project code: [insert project code]) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant number: [insert grant number]).

Citation

@article{Arnaud2026Planning,
  author = {Arnaud, Nicole},
  title = {Planning circular urban water systems: a Hydrosocial Resource Nexus Framework to support systemic decision-making},
  journal = {Universitat de Girona Digital Repository (Universitat de Girona)},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://openalex.org/W7214258311}
}