Green Infrastructure Basics - DNREC
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Green infrastructure is a nature-based approach that uses a combination of engineering and nature’s own systems to address environmental challenges like erosion, flooding, and air and water pollution.
Green Infrastructure
Basics
Site-Scale Green
Infrastructure
Landscape-Scale Green
Infrastructure
Plants and soils naturally filter pollutants out of water and air, and absorb rain and stormwater to reduce flooding and runoff after storms. Plants also lock their roots into the soil, preventing erosion, and absorb nutrients that can be carried off of land.
Green infrastructure — including rain gardens, green roofs, living shorelines, and others — maximizes on these services that nature already provides through strategic placement, protection, and development.
Green Infrastructure Primer
The
Green Infrastructure Primer
developed by the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy provides an introduction to green infrastructure projects and their benefits, as well as information on selecting, building, and maintaining them. These web pages provide an overview of the benefits of green infrastructure and an introduction to site-scale and landscape-scale projects. The Primer itself includes
a complete list of resources
. The resources list includes information and contacts for regulatory and permitting assistance, planning and technical help, and funding resources. It includes links to more detailed documents and information about mapping and geospatial data resources.
For a printed copy of the primer, contact the Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy at 302-735-3480.
Benefits of Green Infrastructure
Provide flood retention during high tides or heavy rainfall events
Filter pollutants out of water and air
Moderate high temperatures by shading buildings and waterways
Provide and protect new and existing habitats through the planting of native flowers, trees, and shrubs
Provide for infiltration of water into soil, replenishing groundwater
Capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in plant tissues and soil, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere
Increase public health by filtering out dust, soot, and particulate matter for cleaner air
Add aesthetic value to storefronts and public spaces, encouraging business and visitors
Proactive approach to preventing storm damage, saving communities money
Green Infrastructure Legacy in Delaware
Green Infrastructure is essential to protecting Delaware’s citizens, economy, and vibrant natural resources. Green infrastructure is an investment in our state’s future. Former Governor Jack Markell issued an
Executive Order
in 2013 directing state agencies to prioritize natural systems and green infrastructure as strategic tools for building Delaware’s resiliency in the face of climate change. Delaware’s focus on using natural systems to balance development and environmental stewardship extends back to former Governor Ruth Ann Minner’s “Livable Delaware” initiative.That initiative emphasized that it is easier and more cost-effective to protect natural resources and processes than to restore them after they are damaged.
The state of Delaware supports green infrastructure projects at the site and landscape scales. At the site scale, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has tools, resources, and knowledgeable staff committed to working with municipalities, individuals, and commercial property owners to create and maintain green infrastructure. At the landscape scale, inter-departmental efforts work to preserve natural spaces and protect native plants and animals, as well as water, air, and land resources, incorporating ecological assessment and environmental values into state planning and land use decisions.
Related Topics:
climate
energy
green infrastructure
natural
sustainability
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