Increasing urban use of river water demands what kind of management?

Correct answer: Water saving wastewater treatment and recycling

Direct answer: A, water saving, wastewater treatment, and recycling. Urban growth increases the demand for water for homes, schools, hospitals, industries, cleaning, and public services. It also increases wastewater discharge. The logical chain is: more users take more water; used water becomes wastewater; untreated wastewater pollutes the river; conservation reduces fresh-water demand; treatment removes or reduces pollutants; safe recycling allows some water to be used again. Therefore good urban river management must combine saving water, treating waste, and recycling where suitable. Option A is correct because it addresses both use and pollution. Option B is wrong because dumping more waste increases contamination and harms people and ecosystems. Option C is wrong because encroachment narrows flood space, damages riverbanks, and obstructs natural flow. Option D is wrong because completely stopping flow harms river ecosystems and downstream users; management means regulated, sustainable flow, not total blockage. Exam cue: urban water management has two sides—reduce what we take and clean what we return.