To Pay For Green Infrastructure, Cities Are Turning Stormwater Into An Economic Resource
Sourced from Anthropocene Magazine
Stormwater is a big problem for cities—and a growing one. Lots of urban surface area is impermeable, so stormwater can’t sink into the ground but instead flows through the city. Meanwhile, climate change is altering and often intensifying rainfall and precipitation patterns.
Enter green infrastructure: natural areas that can capture, store, and filter stormwater, provide habitat and other benefits, and help cities comply with water quality laws and regulations.
City managers want to expand green infrastructure, a new study shows. The problem is that green infrastructure is expensive and many cities are strapped for cash, leading them to experiment with new financing mechanisms that come with additional risks.
Researchers gathered online survey responses from people responsible for stormwater management in 233 municipalities across the country. The survey covered financing mechanisms for stormwater management as well as climate change adaptation planning and how it relates to stormwater management.
“Only 168 of the surveyed municipalities indicated that they have a stormwater management plan and only 32 stated that they have a climate change adaptation plan,” the researchers report in the Journal of Environmental Policy and Planning.
Municipalities in Democratic congressional districts were more likely to have climate change adaptation plans, they found. Municipalities that frame stormwater management in terms of ecosystem services are also more likely to have climate change policies.
From the Living Architecture Monitor
