Green infrastructure as a stormwater management tool

Abstract

Introduction. Global warming has intensified slow moving rainfalls. Climate change mitigation and adaptation policies are implemented around the world through stormwater management in urban areas. Rational stormwater management could affect the reduction in the “heat island” effect and “cool” the cities.
 Materials and methods. The authors analyzed the functions of green spaces in a city, demonstrated the feasibility of introducing elements of green infrastructure, and emphasized the potential benefits of simulating the processes that demonstrate such solutions in our cities.
 Results. The authors recommend the following three principal types of structures that can be widely used in urban areas. They are a biological drainage ditch, a biological filtration slope and a rain garden, each employing the bioremediation technology, or the metabolic potential of biological objects, such as higher plants and microorganisms. The purpose of such a “green” approach is to maintain the natural hydrological balance in a territory and ensure the degradation of pollutions by taking advantage of soil and plant properties. Also, when the territory is landscaped, the authors propose to use several options of storm water systems that complement each other and are mounted together from polymer materials to ensure a better stormwater throughput capacity.
 Conclusions. The research, conducted by the authors, has proven that proper urban planning, engineering and landscape analysis of an area, coupled with a scrupulous selection of local plants, ensure the operation of biological drainage systems even in cold climates, similar to Russia.