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Green Infrastructure, Public Health & Finance. March 8, 2012 Candace Chandra. What is Green Infrastructure?.
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Green Infrastructure, Public Health & Finance March 8, 2012 Candace Chandra
What is Green Infrastructure? Green infrastructure is strategically planned and managed networks of natural lands, working landscapes and other open spaces that conserve ecosystem values and functions and provide associated benefits to human populations.
How Does Green Infrastructure Benefit the Environment? • Reduced and Delayed Stormwater Runoff Volumes • Enhanced Groundwater Recharge • Stormwater Pollutant Reductions • Reduced Sewer Overflow Events • Increased Carbon Sequestration • Urban Heat Island Mitigation and Reduced Energy Demands
What is Missing? • Introductory video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v53Dxmc5Q0
How Does Green Infrastructure Benefit Public Health? • Improved Air and Water Quality • Additional Wildlife Habitat and Recreational Space • Redirection of toxins • Management of Infectious Species • Creation of Green Spaces for Food and Social Well-Being (nature deficit disorder-Richard Louv)
What Does Green InfrastructureLook Like? Green infrastructure encompasses a wide variety of natural and restored native ecosystems and landscape features that make up a system of “hubs” and “links.”
Hubs & Links Hubs Links Landscape linkages Conservation corridors Greenways and waterways Greenbelts Ecobelts Green roofs • Reserves • Manage native landscapes • Working lands-brownfields • Regional parks and preserves • Lakes, aquifers, oceans • Urban areas
The 10 Green Sectors that are attracting investments • Energy Efficiency Technologies • Recycling technologies • Green Building Materials • Water Resources Conservation • Natural Resource Banking • Geothermal, Solar, Wind, Waste to Energy • Cleantech Marketing Companies and Websites • Watershed Investment Funds • Environmental Services • Utilities
Impact of risks related to the water-food-energy nexus (non exhaustive)
Infrastructure Stakeholders Involved in Green Infrastructure Infrastructure Protection Business Continuity & Resilience Governance Innovation and Quality Planning Community Information Sharing Technology Shareholder Value Government Continuity & Resilience Safety Protection & Response Federal Private Sector State & Local
Waste to Energy http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=PLBE4A860090717EB3&v=mOZKVPtuXWU
How are we different? • We see wastewater as a resource than a liability • Focus on re-use of water at many different levels and not just clean drinking water
Performance Metrics, not “maybes” can be written into a PPP contract as guarantees Customer Service • Customer satisfaction surveys • Incoming calls answered rates • Emergency response rate • Billing accuracy, meter reading Water Quality • Meet/exceed all water quality standards • Meet specific criteria for constituents in water • Reduce taste and odour issues • Volume and type of tests Source: Veolia Water Operations • SOPs, technical and process plans • Reliability centered maintainence • Main breaks • Hydrant repair Capital Projects • Execution of specified capital asset replacement and projects Investments stay local Community involvement • Specific programs and citizen advisory council
How to Invest in Water: “The Great Untold Story” A crisis and an opportunity: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/investing-water-great-untold-story-173537241.html
The Challenge for Public Health • Build public infrastructure with health at forefront • RETHINK the physical infrastructure (reference Rob Dunn’s book-UNC Chapel Hill) • Bring data to finance (both public and private) • Integrate with Natural Resource movement (see UNEP Finance Initiative)
Videos • Practical application video - Smart Green Infrastructure: How To Grow Sustainable Cities http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGzbDmgQHTo
Contact Info AQEX LLC 2200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 4th Floor East Washington, DC 20037 Tel: 202-507-5710 Email: cchandra@aqexllc.com