China is undergoing rapid urbanization and economic development. By 2020, newly-built residential stock would reach about 14 billion m2, increasing at the speed of about 1 billion m2 each year. Fast paced environmental degradation has been China’s price for fast paced economic growth.

According to the World Bank, eight of the world’s ten cities with the worst air pollution are located in China – some with particulate air pollution levels that are six times the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Water is also another critical issue facing Chinese cities. Per capita, water resources in China are about 2,200 m3, about 1/4th of the world average. Four hundred out of 660 cities in China face water shortages. Pollution and degradation of water resources are increasingly threatening the drinking water safety for cities.

To tackle the complex environmental issues coupled with China’s urban development requires a shift in paradigm to address air, water, energy problems in an integrated fashion: conventional urban planning tends to treat the various municipal subsystems including transportation, water, energy, buildings and waste as separate and independent units; whereas a new paradigm of integrated urban development treats the subsystems as a comprehensive and interrelated dynamic system in order to optimise resource use, minimize environmental impacts and, reduce investment.

DHV can provide integrated solutions in the following areas:

• Risk ManagementFinancing
• Strategies & Investment Planning
• Project Finance Structuring

Urban development

• Integrated Landuse and Masterplan studies
• Infrastructure Development
• Design & Engineering of Sustainable Buildings
• Project Management

Water

• Urban water supply
• Rural water supply
• Water treatment
• Waste water collection and treatment
• On-site sanitation
• Urban water systems