Table 8.2 SUDS benefit types , descriptions and provisioning details
From: Making the Case for Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems as a Nature-Based Solution to Urban Flooding
Benefit category | Description | Aspects of the SUDS design that provide the benefit |
|---|---|---|
Air quality | Reduced damage to health from improved air quality | Air particulate filtering via vegetation (e.g., trees and green roofs) |
Air and building temperature | Cooling or insulation; thermal comfort and energy savings | Green and blue spaces, green roofs |
Biodiversity and ecology | Sites of ecological value | Habitat creation and enhancement, connecting habitats |
Carbon reduction and sequestration | Reduced energy/water use and planting | Low energy needs (materials, construction and maintenance); sequestration (e.g., trees and wetlands) |
Climate change adaptation | Ability to make incremental changes to systems | Designing for exceedance, adaptability of scheme |
Community cohesion and crime reduction | Crimes against property or people | See visual character, economic growth/inward investment and education |
Economic growth and inward investment | Business, jobs, productivity, tourism, property prices | See visual character, recreation and air and building temperature |
Education opportunities | Enhanced access to and existence of educational possibilities | Community engagement (before and after construction), information boards, education programmes, play features |
Flood risk reduction | Damage to property and people | Peak flow attenuation, volume control |
Groundwater and soil moisture recharge | Improved water availability or quantity | Interception, infiltration, runoff treatment |
Health and well-being | Physical, emotional and mental health benefits | See air quality and building temperature, recreation, crime reduction, reduced flood risk |
Recreation | Involvement in specific recreational activities | Green and blue spaces and play features |
Security of water supply | Reduced flows and reduced pollution | Rainwater harvesting; also see groundwater and soil moisture recharge |
Sewerage systems and sewage treatment | Reduced flows and volume to treat in combined systems | Interception and further runoff volume reduction |
Visual character | Attractiveness and desirability of area | Visual enhancement (as part of surface SUDS) |
Water quality | Surface water quality improvements | Pollution prevention strategies, interception, runoff treatment |