Fit-for-Purpose Infrastructure Asset Management Framework for Water Utilities Facing High Uncertainties

Flood Resilience Research Group, Department of Water Science and Engineering, IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, Westvest 7, 2611AX Delft, The Netherlands

Asset Management Department, Waternet, Korte Ouderkerkerdijk 7, 1096AC Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Water Authority of Jordan, Jaber Bin Hayyan St 5, Amman 11184, Jordan

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WASH Specialist, UNICEF Jordan CO, PO BOX 1551, Amman 11821, Jordan

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Infrastructures 2018, 3(4), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures3040055

Received: 23 August 2018 / Revised: 10 November 2018 / Accepted: 25 November 2018 / Published: 4 December 2018

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Infrastructure Asset Management)

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Abstract

Traditional infrastructure asset management is about maintaining the status quo of service levels in a resource-restricted, sometimes risk-increasing environment. Infrastructure asset management (IAM) is effective in addressing resource-deprived situations and in maximizing the benefits of the utility in these contexts. This makes IAM a very appropriate and useful approach for developing countries. Hence, this paper focuses on developing a fit-for-purpose integrated asset management (IAM) framework that is suitable for situations where there are risks to assets, significant uncertainties, and resource deficits, and where improvements to the current service levels are needed. To be comprehensive in the application in these contexts, there is a need to supplement IAM with a new perspective—critical necessities, next to the risks to the status quo (current levels of service). This gap was evident during application of IAM principles to the drinking water system of Al-Mafraq, Jordan. It was overcome by framing questions on adaptation deficits and future needs that are to be answered together with risk matrix-based prioritization of asset management actions. The fit-for-purpose IAM framework comprising asset management, adaptation deficit, and future needs can ensure the continuity of service levels in emerging cities when supported through expert inputs and stakeholder consultations. View Full-Text

Keywords: asset management; urban water systems; risk-based decision making; adaptation deficits; adaptation gaps; secondary cities in the global south

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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MDPI and ACS Style

Pathirana, A.; Radhakrishnan, M.; Bevaart, M.; Voost, E.; Mahasneh, S.; Abu Al Rob, H. Fit-for-Purpose Infrastructure Asset Management Framework for Water Utilities Facing High Uncertainties. Infrastructures 2018, 3, 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures3040055

AMA Style

Pathirana A, Radhakrishnan M, Bevaart M, Voost E, Mahasneh S, Abu Al Rob H. Fit-for-Purpose Infrastructure Asset Management Framework for Water Utilities Facing High Uncertainties. Infrastructures. 2018; 3(4):55. https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures3040055

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pathirana, Assela, Mohanasundar Radhakrishnan, Maaike Bevaart, Eric Voost, Salameh Mahasneh, and Hiba Abu Al Rob. 2018. "Fit-for-Purpose Infrastructure Asset Management Framework for Water Utilities Facing High Uncertainties" Infrastructures 3, no. 4: 55. https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures3040055

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Fit-for-Purpose Infrastructure Asset Management Framework for Water Utilities Facing High Uncertainties

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