Wiley Handbook of Science and Technology for Homeland Security, 4 Volume Set

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE INTERDEPENDENCIES FOR WATER

RAE ZIMMERMAN

Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems (ICIS), New York University, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York, New York

1 INTRODUCTION

Water systems are dependent on and interdependent with many other infrastructures. This is an outcome of functional necessities, spatial proximity to other infrastructures, and economies of scale that have arisen over time. These relationships are growing with the size of the population, generally increased demand for water resources [1, p. 10] particularly for public supplies [2, p. 39], population distribution that has promoted the transmission of water over long distances, the geographic concentration of water-related infrastructure components, and changes in technology for water control and delivery systems. This article begins by introducing the concept of dependence and interdependence, characteristics of water systems (covering water supply and wastewater treatment) essential to understanding the nature and impact of these relationships, and the relevance of this area of inquiry for security policy, including the allocation of resources for risk management and needs of emergency response. Finally, existing research organized by the major infrastructure sectors to which water is interrelated, how interdependencies can be measured, and recommendations for future research directions are discussed.

Dependence and interdependence as ...