ERE
Energy, Resources and the Environment

gray infrastructure

Living with water: A closer look at deltas

August 31, 2015
Where the Selenga River meets the Lake Baikal. Credit: Galina Shinkareva (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Where the Selenga River meets the Lake Baikal. Credit: Galina Shinkareva (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu) 

Costal deltas often host large cities due to their prime location of where rivers meet the sea. In many cases these areas have been protected from rising sea levels and flooding rivers by engineered ‘gray’ infrastructure. However, this infrastructure appears to only protect these cities on short timescales. Engineered deltas contribute to relative sea level rise, caused by shrinking land masses in these areas due to sediment loss. Thus, this gray infrastructure appears to cause long term sustainability problems for some of the largest cities in the world. In the August 7th edition of Science Temmerman and Kirwan explore green alternatives to traditional gray infrastructure that have the potential to restore natural wetlands to delta areas, increasing land area and provide flood protection. In the same issue, Tessler et al. explore the economic costs of conventional delta engineering along with the long term environmental and sustainability impacts of gray infrastructure.

Kristen MitchellDr. Kristen Mitchell is an experienced geoscientist and marine chemist with specific experience promoting educational outreach and fundraising initiatives in support of science-specific policy and research. She works with policy makers, commercials entities, and universities to educate and inform their communities of the importance of crafting sustainable solutions. She has worked with key players across the world to execute plans and deliver results related to my scientific studies and projects. For more information, you can contact her at drkristenmitchell@gmail.com, or follow her Tweets @dr_kmitchell.

Living with water: Water management infrastructure

August 28, 2015
Irrigation dam Ban Bo Wi, Thailand.Credit: Sarah Garré (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Irrigation dam Ban Bo Wi, Thailand.
Credit: Sarah Garré (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Keeping water out is only half of the battle. Making water available to communities is the other half of the battle. Engineered structures have the ability to do both, dams and dikes can keep flood waters out and they can also divert water to large metropolises and irrigate agricultural lands. But even countries like The Netherlands, which is known for its world class water management engineering, are examining their use of this built infrastructure to make way for ‘green’ infrastructure. Green infrastructure, which can provide more flexible and more cost effective water management strategies while maintaining a larger proportion of natural features, is being investigated for its efficacy in both developed and developing nations. Science, in its second of three debates on water management policies explores the positives and negatives both of gray and green infrastructure in the Policy Forum: Water security: Gray or green?

Kristen MitchellDr. Kristen Mitchell is an experienced geoscientist and marine chemist with specific experience promoting educational outreach and fundraising initiatives in support of science-specific policy and research. She works with policy makers, commercials entities, and universities to educate and inform their communities of the importance of crafting sustainable solutions. She has worked with key players across the world to execute plans and deliver results related to my scientific studies and projects. For more information, you can contact her at drkristenmitchell@gmail.com, or follow her Tweets @dr_kmitchell.