become a sponge or a mousetrap

“Weather -related disasters” have increased since the 70s. The World Meteorological Organization says it. And not a little: they have multiplied by five throughout the last five decades.

According to your calculationsin the 80s 1,400 incidents were recorded – their tables include extreme weather, climatic and water phenomena – and in the 90s, just over 2,200. In the first decade of the 21st century, 3,500 were reached and during the last one, which covers from 2010 to 2019, 3,200 were touched.

That, as we have seen these days, includes floods. Each degree of more, is 7% more moisture In the atmosphere. Unfortunately, we are not prepared.

How are we not prepared? The list is almost endless, but let’s leave it in the most obvious: bad decisions in urbanization, soil sealed, occupation of flood areas or obsolete and infradimensive infrastructure … you just have to take one of those factors to find tons of evidence that They show that we have created a huge problem To ourselves.

The good news is that that does not have to be so.

At least, that is what they believe in Denmark. Copenhagen is deploying a “city-sponge” strategy from which (if they are right) we would have much to learn.

How to change your city in three comfortable steps? The first is to believe that there is a problem. Copenhagen believes it: according to its own documents, the city Wait for an increase of up to 30% more rain before the end of the century. He also knows that he has too many sealed surfaces, which infiltration is not allowed and increases the risk of runoff.

That means many things; But, above all, money. When in 2011, Copenhagen suffered an extraordinary episode of rainfall, the damage it caused They are valued at more than one billion.

The second step is to have a plan. The Danish capital plan It is simple: combines nature -based solutions with others of engineering. The intention is to “absorb, infiltrate, store, filter and reuse rainwater” before it causes floods.

It sounds good, but how it would be done:

• Permeabilizing surfaces: drainage pavements, cobblestones with holes, etc.
• Creating green areas
• Promoting vegetable covers (green roofs, for example)
• Adapting the gaps and ponds to turn them into temporary retention areas.
• Convert channels and ditches as drainage runners.
• Integrate the “gray” infrastructure (pipelines, sewerage, etc …) to take advantage of it

The third step is to start it. Because the concept is not new (China He has turned it in a national policy), but it has been very difficult to start it. In fact, Copenhagen only got to work after the 2011 disaster.

But the key is the long term: there is no way to change the face of a city in three news. He Cloudburst Management Plan Danish contained 300 projects within 20 years. Things ranging from the redesign of streets or parks to the creation of a large rainfall.

Is this the way? If that is the question, the only full answer is that we do not know. But it is an encouraging to see that there are people working on looking for alternatives to chaos that We see year, year too In our country.

It does not often happen that the most viable alternative is also so extremely expensive. But this is the situation we have and it would be fantastic to be able to learn from all previous experiences.

Image | Nick Karvounis

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