University of Texas at Austin, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Policy, 2315 Red River St Austin, Tx, 78712, United States.
El Colegio de La Frontera Norte, Departamento de Estudios Urbanos y del Medio Ambiente, Av. de los Insurgentes 3708, Los Nogales, 32350, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
J Environ Manage. 2019 Oct 15;248:109104. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.06.005. Epub 2019 Jul 15.
This paper describes the application of a comprehensive strategic approach for integrating Green Infrastructure (GI) in urban planning in Mexican communities along the U.S-Mexico border as a means to mitigate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of inadequate stormwater management. Population growth and extended urban footprints in the region's cities have decreased rainfall infiltration and significantly increased runoff, carrying sediments and other pollutants into binational watersheds thus contributing to the pollution of aquatic habitats and potable water sources. As a strategy to mitigate these impacts, the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) developed a four year initiative with the long-term goal to support communities in building resiliency through the use of GI in public spaces such as parks, sidewalks, medians, and parking lots as a way to adapt to climate change, improve urban image, and strengthen native ecosystems. The Border Green Infrastructure Initiative was organized around training, strengthening municipal codes, developing pilot projects, restoring native vegetation, and the participation of residents, local government, and the private sector. The investment over the entire period was approximately USD$800,000. Outcomes were noteworthy. Approximately 900 professionals received various types of capacity building. Five cities and four Mexican border states were active participants in the program. Six pilot projects were implemented, three of which could capture a total volume of 4691 m of water in one year. In two sites the annual sediment collected was 656 m. Finally, six technical tools were developed to assist communities in analysis and implementation. This approach represents a paradigm shift from the conventional management of stormwater through gray infrastructure and is intended to influence public policy at the local level, in a replicable and scalable way, resulting in more livable cities, improved water quality, and stronger binational environmental health.
本文描述了一种综合战略方法在墨西哥边境沿线美国-墨西哥社区的城市规划中的应用，该方法将绿色基础设施 (GI) 整合其中，以减轻因雨水管理不足而产生的环境、经济和社会影响。该地区城市的人口增长和城市面积的扩大导致了降雨量的减少，而径流量却显著增加，这使得泥沙和其他污染物进入了跨国界流域，从而导致水生栖息地和饮用水源受到污染。作为缓解这些影响的策略，边境环境合作委员会 (BECC) 开展了一项为期四年的倡议，其长期目标是支持社区通过在公园、人行道、中央分隔带和停车场等公共空间使用 GI 来建立韧性，以此适应气候变化、改善城市形象和加强本地生态系统。边境绿色基础设施倡议围绕培训、加强市政法规、开展试点项目、恢复本地植被以及居民、地方政府和私营部门的参与来组织实施。整个项目的投资约为 80 万美元。成果值得关注。大约有 900 名专业人员接受了各种形式的能力建设培训。五个城市和四个墨西哥边境州是该计划的积极参与者。六个试点项目得以实施，其中三个项目在一年内可收集 4691 立方米的水。在两个地点，每年收集的泥沙量为 656 立方米。最后，开发了六种技术工具来协助社区进行分析和实施。这种方法代表了从传统的灰色基础设施管理雨水的范式转变，旨在以可复制和可扩展的方式影响地方一级的公共政策，从而使城市更宜居、水质得到改善以及双边环境健康得到加强。
