Water Innovations gives Water and Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.
Issue link: http://wateronline.epubxp.com/i/694011
because of their public service mission to protect and restore the shared water resources of their community. They are also respected, thanks to technical knowledge they possess about how to sustain the hydrological commons in the face of climate change and other challenges. Furthermore, their freshwater protection and restoration plans and projects can create engagement opportunities to bring people together across cultural divides. And these projects often deliver rapid, tangible, and comprehensible results that reinforce the good feelings that come from accomplishing something together. Shelter From The Storm Freshwater groups also have much to gain from engaging their community in efforts to enhance climate resilience. As community members begin to see the many economic, ecological, and social advantages of protecting and restoring their freshwater, they will be more likely to turn out for volunteer work days, support local ordinances for low-impact development, and be less likely to waste or intentionally pollute water. Small-scale, distributed green infrastructure alternatives to large, single-purpose stormwater or wastewater treatment plants are easier to build and maintain with the support of engaged neighborhoods and informed residents. The positive feedback loop between freshwater-related natural and social capital can produce economic, technological, and social benefits for communities and regions. Economically, ecosystem services provided by healthy hydrologic features and green infrastructure can reduce energy consumption, diminish flood damage, improve public health, and save money on treating water-borne illnesses and lost productivity, as well as reduce the construction and operating costs of water-related infrastructure. 6 This leaves more money for other community priorities — and in people's pockets. Technologically, green infrastructure depends upon and supports social capital. These nature-mimicking infrastructure projects are generally smaller and more localized than traditional water infrastructure projects. They offer multiple benefits to their community versus serving a single, and often unseen, purpose. As Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett testified to Congress regarding the social benefits of natural stormwater infrastructure, "You can't hold a picnic or a tailgate party on a Deep Tunnel." 7 Green infrastructure is flexible and adaptive versus fixed and prescriptive, enabling projects to be adapted to a community's particular needs. And, these small-scale, widely distributed projects offer ongoing opportunities for involvement in establishment, maintenance, and monitoring. Socially, time spent in nature makes us feel happier and more connected. Neurological research reveals a linkage between human well- being and natural environments, especially those with water elements. "In study after study, those who choose to spend time in nature speak about its ability to make us feel more connected to something outside of ourselves — something bigger, more transcendent, and universal … In another study, people who viewed nature scenes and imagined themselves fully immersed in nature were more concerned with prosocial goals and more willing to give to others." 8 Rivers and lakes provide attractive, close-to-home spaces where people can gather and relax. And freshwater restoration projects are especially valuable for building a community's social cohesion. "Designing experiences where people come to know each other, where they can expect to encounter one another repeatedly, and where the quality of life is increased for all if each individual thinks of himself as a steward" increases trust and collaborative skills. 9 That is why environmental justice activists are turning to their freshwater assets as a means of creating positive changes in their communities. 10 For example, in Toledo, OH, a task force "is exploring ways to bring green infrastructure to disadvantaged areas … to help reduce threats and damage from flooding and water pollution and build home equity. These projects help address other community priorities, including reducing crime by turning vacant lots into community gardens, beautifying neighborhoods, and improving access to waterways. Community members work together to maintain green infrastructure, which supports local project ownership and community." 11 The City of Philadelphia's response to a problem plaguing cities across America — combined sewer overflows — illustrates the economic, technological, and social benefits of tapping natural capital. Rainstorms regularly overwhelmed the capacity of combined storm and sanitary sewers and resulted in raw sewage being discharged into the Schuylkill River. A study done for the city detailed the "triple- bottom-line benefits" — ecological, economic, and social — of green versus traditional infrastructure solutions to the problem. Ecological benefits included water quality improvements and wetland creation. Economically, green infrastructure was cheaper to build and maintain and contributed to poverty reduction by providing local green jobs and energy savings. And Philadelphians benefited from improvements in recreation opportunities, livability, heat stress reduction, and air quality. 12 A key challenge for freshwater organizing efforts is that "smaller is better" for tapping and building social capital, while freshwater problems generally require larger-scope solutions. A watershed approach can resolve this "dilemma of size and scope." 13 Because every piece of land — whether urban, suburban, or rural — resides in a particular watershed and because a watershed is made up of nested drainage basins of smaller rivers and streams, the connectivity and scalability of freshwater hydrology can be used to link the concerns of communities upstream and downstream. Another dilemma facing freshwater stewards is how to achieve social cohesion while prioritizing diversity and inclusivity. Ties that link dissimilar groups are harder to build, but ultimately more valuable. "Crafting cross-cutting identities is a powerful way to enable connection across perceived diversity." 14 The common identity of living in the same watershed and depending on the same water resources and hydrological functions offers important opportunities for building bridges between different groups. Freshwater organizations are well aware of upstream-downstream conflicts and the value of creating common cause to resolve them. As 34 wateronline.com n Water Innovations RESILIENCY Freshwater initiatives to benefit the most vulnerable communities should be especially careful to prioritize both natural and social capital in their design and execution.