The potential of Blue-Green infrastructure as a climate change adaptation strategy: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) consists of natural and semi-natural systems implemented to mitigate climate change impacts in urban areas, including elevated air temperatures and flooding. This study is a state-of-the-art review that presents recent research on BGI by identifying and critically evaluating published studies that considered urban heat island mitigation and stormwater management as potential benefits. Thirty-two records were included in the review, with the majority of studies published after 2015. Findings indicate that BGI effectively controls urban runoff and mitigates urban heat, with the literature being slightly more focused on stormwater management than urban heat island mitigation. Among BGI, the studies on blue- and blue-green roofs focused on one benefit at a time (i.e. thermal or hydrologic performance) and did not consider promoting multiple benefits simultaneously. Two-thirds of the selected studies were performed on a large urban scale, with computer modelling and sensor monitoring being the predominant assessment methods. Compared with typical Green Infrastructure (GI), and from a design perspective, many crucial questions on BGI performance, particularly on smaller urban scales, remain unanswered. Future research will have to continue to explore the performance of BGI, considering the identified gaps.

Guidelines to reduce the effects of urban heat in a changing climate: Green infrastructures and design measures

“…Additionally, studies (Almaaitah et al, 2021; Voskamp & Van de Ven, 2015; Winker et al, 2019) have also shown that the local use of stormwater (infiltration, retention or irrigation) improves the microclimate within the city. One option is to create retention areas in neighbourhoods, which would work like water squares, providing a public open space throughout the year and becoming large‐volume water collection basins in heavy rainfall events (Voskamp & Van de Ven, 2015; Winker et al, 2019).…”

Namares—A Surface Inventory and Intervention Assessment Model for Urban Resource Management

“…Regarding specific intervention measures, many studies and reviews highlight the social, ecological and economic benefits and downsides of (technical) ecosystem-based adaptations, nature-based solutions, and green infrastructures (roof or facade greening, urban gardens, etc.) [43][44][45][46][47]. Therefore, this section focuses on relevant strategy development and related challenges.…”

Green stormwater infrastructure: A critical review of the barriers and solutions to widespread implementation

“…Several studies have recommended approaches and considerations for addressing technical challenges. Development of catalogs of different practices and their features, manuals and guidelines, especially for maintenance and monitoring protocols, are among the most frequently proposed solutions (Almaaitah et al, 2021; Geberemariam et al, 2017; C. Li et al, 2019; L. Li et al, 2020; Nickel et al, 2014; Shafique & Kim, 2017). Such solutions become paramount as there is a significant need to inform, educate, and incite the public to maintain these infrastructure practices, especially when upscaling the GSI projects is one of the primary goals.…”

“…Several studies have recommended approaches and considerations for addressing technical challenges. Development of catalogs of different practices and their features, manuals and guidelines, especially for maintenance and monitoring protocols, are among the most frequently proposed solutions (Almaaitah et al, 2021;Geberemariam et al, 2017;C. Li et al, 2019;L.…”