Green Infrastructure for a Sustainable Guyana

With Guyana on the path to realising a green economy, the country’s infrastructure will have to be improved to become more efficient and effective. Infrastructure encompasses basic physical and organisational structure and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. Infrastructural development plays a pivotal role in creating systems to foster a green economy.

Nature provides us with fresh water, clean air, food and materials to make our shelters. As our global human population grows, we have a greater and greater need to compensate for decreasing natural areas by building our own infrastructures that can assist the natural infrastructures.

What is Green Infrastructure?
What comes to mind when you think of green infrastructure? I bet some of you thought of human engineered systems which incorporate natural systems. If that was your thinking you are correct! This week we will focus on the function of some natural infrastructure as well as engineered green infrastructure as we explore this green developmental path.

Understanding Green Infrastructure
People often don’t think of forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and other natural ecosystems as forms of infrastructure, but they are. Forests, for instance, can prevent silt and pollutants from entering streams that supply freshwater to downstream. They can act as natural water filtration factories. Natural systems which perform services for us include biodiversity-rich natural areas such as woodlands, ponds or wild flower meadows. These perform important functions and can even enhance man-made structures.

Semi-natural spaces such as parks, private gardens, hedges or agricultural fields also fall into the Green Infrastructure category. These places have been changed by humans to serve specific purposes such as food production, property delineation, and provision of beauty and tranquility.
Human buildings and roads have traditionally blocked out nature and even worked against it.

At the same time we have spent countless dollars paying for clean water, fresh air and energy. In these modern times, we have realised the value of letting nature supply free, renewable and abundant services. New technologies are being developed to bridge the human-environment gap and embrace the potential for welcoming nature into our lives. This is Green Infrastructure. Techniques used in Green Infrastructure include artificial features built to support ecosystem services or assist wildlife movement, such as green roofs and walls or eco-bridges and fish ladders.

Architects have developed way to incorporate solar collectors, wind power, water collection and purification and even small parks into their urban designs. Individual gestures are also important. What can we do at our homes? We can collect rain water, use natural sunlight and cool naturally with the wind, keep plants around the house and leave parts of a garden untouched to provide a home for wildlife and protect biodiversity. The focus of Green Infrastructure is on creatively integrating nature into modern society enabling us to garner multiple valuable ecosystem goods and services.

One of the key attractions of Green Infrastructure is its ability to perform several functions in the same spatial area. In contrast to most ‘grey’ or man-made infrastructures, which usually have only one single objective, Green Infrastructure encourages more sustainable and resource-efficient development. It also requires healthy ecosystems to be effective.

Benefits of Green Infrastructure
Green Infrastructure acts as a catalyst to economic growth by attracting investments and generating employment, reducing environmental costs and providing health benefits amongst others. Europe and the United Kingdom are practical examples where the use of Green Infrastructure contributed to the recovery their economies by creating new green businesses and improving environmental conditions of valuable ecosystems.

Similar to Europe and other developed parts of the world, Green Infrastructure can also be used to support different national and regional policies, programs and action plans especially for those in the fields of agriculture and rural development, forestry, biodiversity, water, climate change, transport, energy, sustainable urban development and health.

Green Infrastructure networks are not only multifunction purposes, the benefits are also multidisciplinary. With a green infrastructure strategy, communities work to preserve and connect open spaces, watersheds, wildlife habitats, parks, and other critical landscapes. Some other benefits include;

Protect the Environment
Green infrastructure protects the health and diversity of wildlife and maintains natural systems that deliver critical, life-sustaining services.

Help the Economy Thrive
Green infrastructure benefits property values, lowers health care costs, and helps communities make smarter investments in grey infrastructure.It also supports a green economy and creates job opportunities.

Enhance Quality of Life
Green infrastructure ensures that people connect with nature; have access to clean air and water; and live healthier, happier lives.

C/O EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail.com

Sources
https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/docs/green_infrastructure_broc.pdf
http://www.esri.com/about-esri/greeninfrastructure

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