A new approach to rainwater management: Amsterdam's blue-green roofs

Amsterdam is leading a global trend in smart, climate-adaptive rooftops that capture rainwater to reduce flooding and provide water for residents.

Matt Simon reports for Wired.

In short:

Amsterdam has more than 45,000 square meters of blue-green roofs, designed to capture and store rainwater for later use.
The blue-green roofs have layers that collect water for building residents to use for watering plants and flushing toilets.
The Resilio project, using specialized software, is modeling the impact of these roofs to help predict and manage flooding.

Key quote:

“Our philosophy in the end is not that on every roof, everything is possible, but that on every roof, something is possible.”

— Kasper Spaan, policy developer for climate adaptation at Waternet

Why this matters:

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of storms, innovative water management solutions like blue-green roofs can significantly reduce flooding while providing sustainable water resources to urban communities. Read more: Embracing rainwater through green infrastructure.

www.ehn.org

A new approach to rainwater management: Amsterdam's blue-green roofs

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