Blue-Green Infrastructure and Nature-Based Solutions

Rapid urbanization has put cities and their decision-makers at the mercy of challenges associated with balancing urban development and its impact on the environment. Most megacities were developed without considering the most important element of the nature – water – and its impact on life and economic activities. We have learnt that in infrastructure design we must consider water as ‘friend’ and not ‘foe’. To make a city liveable, we must shift from traditional grey infrastructure to Blue-Green Infrastructure and Nature-based Solutions.

Blue Green Infrastructure: Blue Green Infrastructure is defined as a ‘strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem service’. BGI options include parklands, swales, ponds, green roofs much more. All of which can reduce flood-risk and benefit public health whilst improving environmental quality such as air, water, and biodiversity quality. Through Blue Green Infrastructure we combine hydrological and biological water treatment drains into systems so that green features impeccably overlap with blue features.

Nature-based Solutions: Nature-Based Solutions are defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits”. Our approach is an integral part of the overall design of policies and measures, or actions needed to address a specific challenge. At NIW, we base our strategies from the foundations of other successful stories around the world.