Evaluating the Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Techniques for Stormwater Management in Urban Settings
Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: As such urbanization is a highly demanding area of stormwater management, because the systems of traditional infrastructure or "gray infrastructure" have proven to be inadequate in managing the growing volumes of runoff from impervious surfaces such as roads, buildings, and parking lots.Here, the green infrastructure techniques have emerged as efficient sustainable alternatives with ecological and resilient solutions for managing stormwater in urban settings.This paper provides a critical review of the effectiveness of the various green infrastructure approaches adopted for reducing stormwater runoff, improving water quality, and enhancing resilience in an urban setting affected by climate change.These systems are designed to replicate natural hydrologic functions through infiltration enhancement, evapotranspiration promotion, and creation of water storage capacity with the ultimate goal of achieving attenuation of urban runoff impacts.Techniques for reducing peak flow rates during severe storm events include permeable pavements and bioswales, with the effect of lowering the risk of flooding and burden on conventional drainage systems.The systems also provide vital quality benefits concerning water since they remove pollutants such as suspended solids, heavy metals, and nutrients before stormwater discharges into natural water bodies.However, the efficacy of green infrastructure techniques is highly dependent on the parameters such as climate, soil condition, and density of the city.Although efficient in temperate climates, these systems become less reliable when placed in arid regions or during extreme weather conditions.Second, more space requirements along with its very initial investment add several hurdles in it especially in densely populated urban areas.Even though such a flood has a negative impact, the long-term economic and environmental pay-off usually outweighs this added investment in flood prevention, increased biodiversity, and better air quality.This approach, that is the hybrid approach, combines green infrastructure with gray infrastructure to attain greater stormwater management.Policy makers and urban planners would have to evolve an adaptive regulatory framework that could adapt to flawless green infrastructure adoption but also to potential headaches such as its maintenance, its financing, and all communities' equal access to it.Stormwater management, green infrastructure can also provide benefits such as increased urban cooling, habitat creation, and aesthetic value, contributing to healthier and more livable cities.
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4405110132