scholarly journals Green Water from Green Roofs—The Ecological and Economic Effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2403
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Bus ◽  
Anna Szelągowska
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
The Social

Green roofs (GRs) have been one of the most popular solutions for water harvesting in urban areas. Apart from their water retention role and increasing biodiversity, they constitute the missing link between the built and the natural environment, which is required for sustainable human living in cities. This paper aims to calculate the ecological (EE) and economic effect (EcE) of water harvesting via GRs, by contrasting with a traditional roof, and to perform an economic analysis of the social cost benefits that GRs generate during their life cycle, using the Net Present Value (NPV) method. All the calculations and analyses were conducted for both intensive and extensive GRs in 11 of the largest municipalities in Poland, with a population of >250,000 inhabitants. According to the results of this study, water retention and the economic and ecological effects of GRs are highest in the municipalities with the highest assumed number of GRs (Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, and Szczecin). The average EE and EcE equals 507,000 m3/yr and 621,000 USD/yr. The NPV results show that the effectiveness of investments in intensive GRs is, to a certain extent, more significant than in extensive GRs and the average equals 60.77 and 4.47 USD/yr for intensive and extensive GRs, respectively. The results could serve as a reference for the evaluation and optimization of the energy efficiency of rainwater harvesting schemes, in European cities.

Mandatory urban rainwater harvesting: learning from experience

2012 ◽  
Vol 65 (7) ◽  
pp. 1200-1207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Gabe ◽  
Sam Trowsdale ◽  
Diveshkumar Mistry
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Marginal Utility ◽  
Empirical Knowledge ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Learning From Experience ◽  
End User ◽  
User Perspective ◽  
The Social ◽  
Semistructured Interviews

Rainwater harvesting is effectively mandated in several urban areas of New Zealand. To understand the costs and benefits of rainwater harvesting from an end-user perspective, semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 homeowners in northern Auckland affected by these regulations. Residents report differences in four aspects of urban rainwater infrastructure – security of supply, water quality, the learning process and financial costs – that could represent key values for public acceptance. When responses are examined from the perspective of experience that has built empirical knowledge, participants explained how their satisfaction with rainwater harvesting increased over time. We hypothesise that for those lacking experience, urban rainwater consumption is a function of empirical knowledge and has initially rising marginal utility. Regulation that recognises the costs of social learning is likely to be a more effective pathway towards maximising the social benefits associated with integrated urban water management.

EFFECTS OF SLUM UPGRADING ON SECURITY MANAGMENT IN SOWETO SLUMS, ROYSAMBU SUB-COUNTY IN NAIROBI, KENYA

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 479-530
Author(s):  
Evans Metobo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Security Management ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Police Station ◽  
Slum Dwellers ◽  
Slum Upgrading

This paper uses data collected for an MA Thesis to explore the effects of slum upgrading on security management in Soweto slums, Roysambu sub-county in Nairobi, Kenya. The study was guided by three objectives to establish social effect of slum upgrading on security management in Kahawa Soweto slums; to examine the economic effect of slum upgrading on security management in Kahawa Soweto slums; and to establish the challenges of security management in the slum upgrading programme for Kahawa Soweto Slums. The study adopted a descriptive research design and random sampling to select 318 respondents (main respondents) and 10 Key informants (K.I). Questionnaire was the main method of data collection while interview was used to collect data from K.I. Data collected was organized, and systematically interpreted thematically by use of graphs, frequency tables, and percentages. This study established the relationship between slum setting and rise of crime and insecurity in Kahawa Soweto slums in Roysambu sub-county in Nairobi, Kenya with 69.2% of respondents agreeing to this count. According to this study, poor roads, high poverty levels, low education levels, poor spatial designs/environmental design of slum area and housing, absence of police station and poor lighting predisposed the slum dwellers to crime and insecurity. According to this study slum upgrade will reduce crime and insecurity, given that special aspects such as improvement in spatial designs/environmental design of urban areas and housing with enhanced modern lighting will significantly reduce crime in slums by eliminating criminogenic and insecurity risk factors. Additionally, improved economic effects of slum upgrading on slum dwellers would build resilience to crime and insecurity. This includes; Job creation, provision of educational facilities such as vocational training institutes (polytechnics), basic education institutions (primary and secondary schools) as well as other skills enhancement institutions. Community empowerment aimed at income generating activities, construction of police station to provide security to the slum dwellers (77%), and construction of better roads (55.3%) were recommended to reduce crime and improved security management in Kahawa Soweto slums in Roysambu sub-county in Nairobi, Kenya.

scholarly journals Water Retention in Nature-Based Solutions—Assessment of Potential Economic Effects for Local Social Groups

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3347
Author(s):  
Zwoździak Jerzy ◽  
Szałata Łukasz ◽  
Zwoździak Anna ◽  
Kwiecińska Kornelia ◽  
Byelyayev Maksym
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Impact

The upcoming trends related to climate change are increasing the level of interest of social groups in solutions for the implementation and the realization of activities that will ensure the change of these trends and can reduce the impact on the environment, including the health of the community exposed to these impacts. The implementation of solutions aimed at improving the quality of the environment requires taking into account not only the environmental aspects but also the economic aspect. Taking into account the analysis of solutions changing the current state of climate change, the article focuses on the analysis of the potential economic effect caused by the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBSs) in terms of reducing the operating costs related to water retention for local social groups. The analysis is based on a case study, one of the research projects studying nature-based solutions, created as part of the Grow Green project (H2020) in Wrocław in 2017–2022. The results of the analysis are an observed potential positive change in economic effects, i.e., approximately 85.90% of the operating costs related to water retention have been reduced for local social groups by NBSs.

scholarly journals Mapping the Food Festivals and Sustainable Capitals: Evidence from Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10283
Author(s):  
Patrycjusz Zarębski ◽  
Dominika Zwęglińska-Gałecka
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Development ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Theoretical Point ◽  
Capital Conversion ◽  
The Impact

This study is one of the first attempts to identify and explain the location of food festivals in the context of locally embedded capitals. A multidimensional spatial model was developed and a typology using the k-means method was carried out to evaluate the mapping of 64 food festivals organized in various locations in Poland. With reference to Bourdieu’s concept, the economic, social, cultural, symbolic, and tourism capitals rooted in the local environment were examined and compared with the location of festivals. From the theoretical point of view, this study extends the theory of capital to include the new category of tourism capital, which allows better understanding of the economic effects of festivals. It is the missing element of the circular mechanism of capital conversion. Our study shows that food festivals in Poland are held mainly in large cities and their neighboring municipalities rather than in peripheral rural areas. We indicate that the urban areas have a higher level of capitals and sustainability of capitals for food festivals than rural areas. The conducted research shows that the economic effect of food festivals is stronger in locations with high tourism capital. The proposed model is universal and can be used to analyze the impact of various festivals on capital conversion and local development.

scholarly journals The benefits, synergies and conflicts of green design in urban policy, a case study of Kosice city

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 00067
Author(s):  
Zuzana Poorova ◽  
Zuzana Vranayova
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Green Design ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Sponge City ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The City

The end of climate change must begin with cities. 75% of Europe's population chooses the city as a place to reside. How does one maximize the supply of fresh air and provide enough green areas for built-up areas? Cities are growing fast, strengthening the effects of thermal islands by sealing the spaces, removing natural habitats and creating heat. The principle of green design is a response to many questions. But the question remains, what is green design? Designing healthy cities, bringing nature, greenery and water into urban areas, covering building roofs with soil, integrating wilderness, building green roofs and walls, water retention and recycling? The paper explains the problematic new term "sponge city" using a case study of the green roofs in Kosice.

scholarly journals Feasibility of rainwater harvesting from residential rooftops in Jordan

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ola Al-Qawasmi
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Precise Estimation ◽  
Water Companies

AbstractRainwater harvesting is adopted to face water scarcity in arid regions. Many studies were developed in Jordan to estimate the potential of water harvesting for several uses. However, the precise estimation of water saving and cost benefits for the potential of rainwater harvesting from the roofs of residential urban areas is insufficient. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of rainwater harvesting from residential rooftops in all the eighty-nine Jordanian districts. The forecast number of buildings was calculated from 2016 to 2025 using building growth rate, where the number of houses and villas was adopted only. The long-term rainfall average from 1937 to 2017 was used. Two scenarios were used to assess the potential of rainwater harvesting; numerical (as scenario 1) and tabulated by plumbing code (as scenario 2) for the years from 2019 to 2025. Also, the growth rate of one cubic meter of water cost was calculated to find the money saving potential for the water companies in Jordan. The results indicated that the water harvesting potential was different between two scenarios in the districts which have annual rainfall more than 100 mm was efficient in scenario 1 compared to scenario 2 with the projected financial return which was increased from $5.4 million at 2019 to reach $33.4 million at 2025, while in the districts which have annual rainfall less than 100 mm was more efficient in scenario 2 compared to scenario 1 with the projected financial return which was increased from $2.4 million at 2019 to reach $14.6 million at 2025.

Contributions to the design of rainwater harvesting systems in buildings with green roofs in a Mediterranean climate

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1842-1847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina M. Monteiro ◽  
Cristina S. C. Calheiros ◽  
Carla Pimentel-Rodrigues ◽  
Armando Silva-Afonso ◽  
Paula M. L. Castro
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Monthly Runoff

Green roofs (GRs) are becoming a trend in urban areas, favouring thermal performance of buildings, promoting removal of atmospheric pollutants, and acting as possible water collection spots. Rainwater harvesting systems in buildings can also contribute to the management of stormwater runoff reducing flood peaks. These technologies should be enhanced in Mediterranean countries where water scarcity is increasing and the occurrence of extreme events is becoming very significant, as a result of climate change. An extensive pilot GR with three aromatic plant species, Satureja montana, Thymus caespititius and Thymus pseudolanuginosus, designed to study several parameters affecting rainwater runoff, has been in operation for 12 months. Physico-chemical analyses of roof water runoff (turbidity, pH, conductivity, NH4+, NO3−, PO43−, chemical oxygen demand) have shown that water was of sufficient quality for non-potable uses in buildings, such as toilet flushing. An innovative approach allowed for the development of an expression to predict a ‘monthly runoff coefficient’ of the GR system. This parameter is essential when planning and designing GRs combined with rainwater harvesting systems in a Mediterranean climate. This study is a contribution to improving the basis for the design of rainwater harvesting systems in buildings with extensive GRs under a Mediterranean climate.

scholarly journals Social and Economic Effects of the Menace of Fulani Herdsmen Crises in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Ajibefun
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationship ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Economic Effect ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
The Social ◽  
Planning Procedure ◽  
Southwest Nigeria

Abstract This study investigated the social and economic effects of the menace of Fulani herdsmen crises in Nigeria. The study specifically examined the causes of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashes in Nigeria, and the social and economic effects of the menace of Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria. The sample of the study consisted of 250 farmers and 150 respondents from Fulani tribe selected from affected Local Government areas in Southwest, Nigeria via purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire titled Economic and Social Effects of Herdsmen Clashes Questionnaire (ESEHCQ) was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics of t-test were used to analyze the data generated from respondents. The findings revealed that the major cause of the conflict was destruction of crops. The social effect of the menace of Fulani herdsmen are loss of human life, sexual harassment of human life, acquiring of weapons/arms, reduction in quality of social relationship, reduction of social support and high cases of rape while the economic effect of the menace of Fulani herdsmen are reduction in output and income of farmers/nomads, loss of produce in storage, displacement of farmers, scarcity of agricultural products, loss of house and properties and infrastructural damages. The findings also revealed that farmers and Fulani perception of the causes of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashes in Nigeria are not different while farmers and Fulani perception of the social effects and economic effects of Fulani herdsmen and farmers clashes in Nigeria are different. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that representatives of the host communities and Fulani herdsmen should be conveyed under a public forum and involved in the decision making and permitted to take part actively in the planning procedure of restoring peace to most of the affected communities.

scholarly journals Water, energy and climate benefits of urban greening throughout Europe under different climatic scenarios

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuele Quaranta ◽  
Chiara Dorati ◽  
Alberto Pistocchi
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Green Water ◽  
Urban Greening ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Climatic Scenarios ◽  
The Cost

AbstractUrban greening is an effective mitigation option for climate change in urban areas. In this contribution, a European Union (EU)-wide assessment is presented to quantify the benefits of urban greening in terms of availability of green water, reduction of cooling costs and CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere, for different climatic scenarios. Results show that greening of 35% of the EU’s urban surface (i.e. more than 26,000 km2) would avoid up to 55.8 Mtons year−1 CO2 equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy demand for the cooling of buildings in summer by up to 92 TWh per year, with a net present value (NPV) of more than 364 billion Euro. It would also transpire about 10 km3 year−1 of rain water, turning into “green” water about 17.5% of the “blue” water that is now urban runoff, helping reduce pollution of the receiving water bodies and urban flooding. The greening of urban surfaces would decrease their summer temperature by 2.5–6 °C, with a mitigation of the urban heat island effect estimated to have a NPV of 221 billion Euro over a period of 40 years. The monetized benefits cover less than half of the estimated costs of greening, having a NPV of 1323 billion Euro on the same period. Net of the monetized benefits, the cost of greening 26,000 km2 of urban surfaces in Europe is estimated around 60 Euro year−1 per European urban resident. The additional benefits of urban greening related to biodiversity, water quality, health, wellbeing and other aspects, although not monetized in this study, might be worth such extra cost. When this is the case, urban greening represents a multifunctional, no-regret, cost-effective solution. 

EFFECT OF GREEN ROOF AGE ON RUNOFF WATER QUALITY IN PORTLAND, OREGON

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrett Okita ◽  
Cara Poor ◽  
Jessica M. Kleiss ◽  
Ted Eckmann
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Rain Event ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Runoff Water

Green roofs have become a common method to increase water retention on-site in urban areas. However, the long-term water quality of runoff from green roofs is poorly understood. This study evaluated the water quality of stormwater runoff from a regular (non-vegetated) roof, a green roof installed 6 months previously, and a green roof installed 6 years ago in Portland, Oregon. Samples of runoff were taken during every rain event for 10 months, and analyzed for total phosphorus (TP), phosphate (PO3-4), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (NO-3), ammonia (NH3), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Runoff from the green roofs had higher concentrations of TP and PO3-4 and lower concentrations of Zn compared to the regular roof. Average TP concentrations from the 6-year old roof and 6-month old roof were 6.3 and 14.6 times higher, respectively, than concentrations from the regular roof, and average PO3-4 concentrations from the 6-year old roof and 6-month old roof were 13.5 and 26.6 times higher, respectively, compared to the regular roof. Runoff from the 6-month old green roof had higher concentrations of TP and PO3-4 than the 6-year old green roof during the wet season, but lower concentrations during the dry season. The 6-month old green roof installations where receiving waters are sensitive or impaired may need additional treatment methods to reduce phosphorus levels. As green roofs age, water retention decreases and phosphorus leaching increases during the dry season.

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