Manage water in a green way

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aac7778
• Publication Date: 2015-08-06T19:00:13Z
• Authors: Margaret A. Palmer; Junguo Liu; John H. Matthews; Musonda Mumba; Paolo D'Odorico
• Keywords: Green infrastructure; Gray (unit); Water infrastructure

Reliance on “hard,” human-engineered structures—“gray” infrastructure—has been the conventional way to manage water needs for economic development. But building dams, piping water, and constructing protective barriers is capital intensive may address only a few problems ( 1 ). Gray infrastructure often damages or eliminates biophysical processes necessary sustain people, ecosystems habitats, livelihoods. Consequently, there renewed focus “green” infrastructure, which can be more flexible cost effective providing benefits besides provision. Supplementing integrating gray with systems critical meeting current future needs. green infrastructures combined are synergistic have superior results one other.