‘Green’ infrastructure fights climate change, promotes justice

Bill Knight column for 12-24, 25 or 26, 2020

 During a season celebrating with red and green decorations, it’s appropriate to consider an idea that suggests an environmentally friendly “green” approach to a common local problem that can put communities in the “red.”

Changing weather patterns in Illinois are leading to increased precipitation that means more flooded streets, water in basements, and stormwater-runoff woes for cities, reported Emily Steele with University of Illinois Extension. But one increasingly popular solution to this nuisance – green infrastructure – can work and also address other social challenges according to an Extension study.

“We are getting more rain in Illinois, which means communities are facing increasing stormwater management challenges,” says Lisa Merrifield, UofI Extension Community and Economic Development specialist and lead author on a white paper published by the North Central Regional Water Network.

“Many communities are turning to green infrastructure as part of their solution, which when done right can not only serve to stop local flooding, but it can also provide green space and jobs for marginalized communities,” said Merrifield, who worked with three other extension offices and three professionals from the private sector on the 51-page study, titled “Building an Equitable and Just Green Infrastructure Strategy in the North Central Region.”

Green infrastructure practices use plants, permeable surfaces and landscaping to store, filter, and reduce stormwater flow to sewer systems or to surface waters.

“We found that some communities are coupling the two, but most are only thinking of green infrastructure as a stormwater management tool,” Merrifield says. “Communities are interested, but need help figuring out how. Illinois Extension staff can serve as a trusted source for information on using green infrastructure to promote environmental and social justice.”

The report offers ideas that can be useful to community development professionals, educators, water experts and everyday citizens to push for the integration of green infrastructure projects into communities and for civic engagement in social issues such as pollution and lack of access to green space.

“Climate change will bring more intense storms, droughts, heatwaves and other severe weather events.\,” the authors say. “Histories of subjugation and institutional racism in the United States mean that the communities most exposed to these events are those that are already facing inequities,” the authors say. “Low-income communities in both urban and rural areas are on the front line of climate change. To rise to these challenges, we cannot continue to plan for it using the tools of the past.”

Based on findings from 18 listening sessions in 12 states to identify and prioritize barriers and opportunities for communities seeking to implement socially just green infrastructure practices, the study made five recommendations:

* Keep it simple. Keep a project simple to lower the cost of installation and maintenance.

* Emphasize co-benefits. Emphasize other societal benefits in addition to stormwater management to earn funding and support.

* Design careers, not jobs. In a growing field such as green infrastructure, creating careers rather than entry-level jobs can increase success.

* Provide education at every level. Providing education sets communities up for long-term success.

* Build relationships and establish partnerships. Like many interdisciplinary projects, collaborating with partners is crucial to successful project implementation.

 

To learn more about the possibilities of applying such ideas locally, or for more information on the Network’s green infrastructure team, visit the website at https://northcentralwater.org/ or for the study itself, go to https://northcentralwater.org/files/2020/09/EquitableGreenInfrastructure-9-24-2020.pdf