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=5v53Dxmc5
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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 Infrastructure
Look 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
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Reserves
Manage native landscapes
Working lands-brownfields
Regional parks and
preserves
• Lakes, aquifers, oceans
• Urban areas
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Links
Landscape linkages
Conservation corridors
Greenways and waterways
Greenbelts
Ecobelts
Green roofs
The 10 Green Sectors that are
attracting investments
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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 waterfood-energy nexus (non exhaustive)
Impacts
Direct Impacts
Indirect Impacts
Impact on
- Stagnation in economic development
governments - Political Unrest
- Cost of emergency food relief
- Significantly reduced agricultural
yields
- Threats to energy security
- Increased social cost linked
to employment and income
loss as agriculture is
negatively effected
- National security risks/
conflict over natural
resources
Impact on
- Increased levels of hunger and
society/popu poverty
lations
- Increased environmental degradation
- Severe food and water shortages
- Social unrest
- Food price spikes
- Migration pressures
- Irreparably damaged water
sources
- Loss of livelihoods
Impact on
business
- Lost investment
opportunities
- Export constraints
- Increased resource prices
- Commodity price volatility
Infrastructure Stakeholders Involved in
Green Infrastructure
Infrastructure Protection
Governance
Planning
Information Sharing Technology
Federal
Private Sector
State & Local
Government Continuity & Resilience
Safety Protection & Response
Business Continuity & Resilience
Innovation and Quality
Community
Shareholder Value
Waste to Energy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&list=PLBE4A8600907
17EB3&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
Utility Enabled Financing and
Repayment Model
$$$$$
Customer wants to save
money on utility bill
As part of utility service,
the meter is assigned a
fixed monthly charge to pay
off the upgrade
Utility determines best
upgrade package that can
be financed out of
projected savings
Utility oversees efficiency
upgrades at no upfront cost
to customer
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/inves
ting-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=uGzbDmgQ
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Contact Info
AQEX LLC
2200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 4th Floor East
Washington, DC 20037
Tel: 202-507-5710
Email: cchandra@aqexllc.com