Introduction to react to droughts. The AWRP has been identifying and analyzing existing water resources to estimate their potential Barcelona’s smart city program was launched in 2012. The uses and improvements. The AWRP has used its analysis to program’s objective is to transform the city into an innovation create a map of alternative water sources across the city and hub and ensure the city’s quality of life and social equity. Some ensure coherence between the expansion and improvement of the projects that were being undertaken in 2020, such as the of the water supply network within Barcelona (Ajuntament superblocks initiative, aimed to transform the city’s infrastructure Barcelona, 2020). to make it interconnected and ecoefficient, as well as to create energy self-sufficient districts, the idea being to improve The two main objectives of the AWRP in Barcelona are citizens’ quality of life. The implementation of a reliable and (Ajuntament Barcelona, 2020): robust ecosystem of actors from the private and public sectors • Expanding and improving the water supply network and has helped to define a needs-based approach to making the developing alternative water resources (for example, use smart city a reality. Some of the main actors include CISCO, of containers, recovery of rainwater, and reduction of soil IBM, Philips, SAP, Schneider, and GDF Suez, as well as research artificialization); centers and universities like i2CAT, CESCA, and ESADE, plus • Promoting and increasing the use of alternative water international organization such as the World Bank, the European resources for irrigation in green areas and for street- Commission, and United Nations Habitat. One of the city’s vital cleaning purposes. strengths is this crosscutting approach to collaboration, which • In the past decade, Barcelona has avoided a rerun of the 2008 engages all stakeholders and keeps them connected. water shortage, but precipitation in 2017 was notably light. In Spain, summers are becoming hotter and drier, while winters This chapter intends to describe the development of Barcelona are now much less harsh. In 2020, Barcelona City Council as a smart city by analyzing different programs set up by the provided the following information on water resources: City Council and their impact on citizens’ way of life. It also • The total domestic consumption of water is 108.2 liters tries to identify and describe innovative processes throughout per resident per day. This figure helps the City Council to the city that contribute to the UN’s SDGs. The structure of the anticipate demand and, therefore, manage the water supply chapter is partially based on the IMD World Competitiveness efficiently as well as set up public campaigns focused on Center Smart City Index, though some additional sections have encouraging people to reduce their water consumption; been added to the IMD’s categories to provide a much better • Municipal services use up to 19.2 percent of groundwater, a and more complete vision of Barcelona. figure that might increase over time; • 100 percent of wastewater is treated, allowing the 1,700 1. Health public water sources to provide drinkable water to the population. 1.1 Basic sanitation Barcelona’s implementation of smart irrigation systems Back in 2008, Barcelona was forced to import water on an is helping the city to manage its water supply. Starlab, in emergency basis to overcome its drought issues (Graham Keeley, collaboration with other companies and Barcelona City Council, 2008). The low level of rainfall that year was not the only reason has deployed and implemented a remote irrigation system why Barcelona was having water management issues: leaks in (Sree Venkitesh, 2016). The smart system is based on sensor the drainage system were causing millions of liters of water to technology that allows the irrigation system to be controlled be lost in Spain (Graham Keeley, 2008). In Barcelona, one faulty remotely through an online platform. Implemented in parks system was causing up to eight hundred thousand liters a day to and gardens within the city, this smart irrigation system has be lost (Graham Keeley, 2008). Catalonia’s capital needed new been efficient because the remote control helps to anticipate solutions to ensure better, more efficient water management. plants’ need and correlate water supply with the weather. The municipalities of the Barcelona metropolitan area estimate that Therefore, the Alternative Water Resources Plan (AWRP) was this system has enabled them to lower their water bills by almost formulated by Barcelona City Council to implement a more 25 percent through reduced water usage (Sree Venkitesh, 2016). sustainable and rational water management system within the city (Ajuntament Barcelona, 2020). The AWRP essentially focuses on water savings, water optimization, and use of alternative water resources to ensure the city has the flexibility 87 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021