Urban water storage is vital for preventing flooding and reducing urban heat by promoting evapotranspiration (ET). However, estimating the amount of water that can be stored in a city is challenging due to the variability of urban landscapes. Our study introduces a new method to estimate this water storage capacity based on how ET decreases over time during periods without rain. We found that urban water storage capacity ranges from 1.3 to 28.4 mm, which is at least five times smaller than what is typically observed in natural ecosystems. This reflects the severe water limitations present in urban environments.
Source:
Jongen, H. J., Steeneveld, G. J., Beringer, J., Christen, A., Chrysoulakis, N., Fortuniak, K., et al. (2022). Urban water storage capacity inferred from observed evapotranspiration recession. Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2021GL096069.
https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096069
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