Introduction to

Sustainable and
Green Infrastructure

SIA-104 Pengantar Infrastruktur

Berkelanjutan
 Definition of Sustainable Infrastructure
• Infrastructure is defined as the basic physical and organizational
structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or
the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function.
• Infrastructure is the set of structural elements that supports the
day-to-day function, and influences the direction of human society.
• Sustainable infrastructure refers to the designing, building, and
operating of these structural elements in ways that do not diminish
the social, economic and ecological processes required to maintain
human equity, diversity, and the functionality of natural systems.
• Infrastructure – roads, bridges, ports, power plants, water supply –
drive economic growth in many countries by facilitating
manufacturing, services and trade. But it’s not just a matter of
building more. To achieve good development on a planet stressed
by climate change and diminishing natural resources, infrastructure
needs to be sustainable.
 Definition of Sustainable Infrastructure
• At its narrowest, sustainable infrastructure can refer to ‘green’ or
‘smart’ buildings.
• More broadly it can encompass a wide range of initiatives with a
specific focus on energy, water and land management; green
areas; smart technology and the use of sustainable, durable
building materials.
• It can also refer to existing infrastructure which is retrofitted,
rehabilitated, redesigned and reused.
• Whatever definition is used, sustainable infrastructure is generally
considered to approach development from a holistic viewpoint
and based on global and domestic sustainable development goals
and durability and having regard to social, financial and political
issues, public health and wellbeing, as well as economic and
environmental concerns.
 Definition of Sustainable Infrastructure

Sustainable infrastructure is:

– Socially sustainable: sustainable
infrastructure is inclusive and
respects human rights.
– Economically sustainable:
sustainable infrastructure
provides jobs and helps boost
GDP.
– Environmentally sustainable:
sustainable infrastructure
mitigates carbon emissions
during construction and
operation and contributes to the
transition to a lower-carbon
economy.
Sustainable Infrastructure and
Sustainable Development Goals
 Sustainable Infrastructure and
Sustainable Development Goals
• Sustainable infrastructure – interconnected physical network in
transport, communications, buildings, energy, water and waste
management – is essential for achieving economic growth.
• Sustainable infrastructure not only enables sound economic
development, job creation and the purchase of local goods and
services, it also enhances quality of life for citizens, increases positive
impacts, helps protect vital natural resources and environment, and
promotes a more effective and efficient use of financial resources.
• A sustainable infrastructure is considered to be one in which
maintaining, repairing and upgrading the infrastructure sustains our
quality of life.
• The quality and quantity of sustainable infrastructure will be crucial
for the attainment of the SDGs, given its impact on inclusive growth,
social development, and climate resilience.
Sustainable Infrastructure and
Sustainable Development Goals
 Sustainable Infrastructure for Poverty
Reduction and Social Well-being
• Inadequate infrastructure remains one of the most pervasive
impediments to growth and sustainable development.
• Sustainable infrastructure holds the key to poverty reduction and
societal well-being in part because it enhances access to basic
services and facilitates access to and knowledge about work
opportunities.
• Sustainable infrastructure helps reduce poverty and extreme
hunger, improve health and education levels, assist in attainment of
gender equality, allows for the provision of clean water and
sanitation, and provides access to affordable energy for all.
• Investment in sustainable infrastructure can help generate
employment, boost international trade, industrial growth, and
competitiveness while reducing inequalities within and among
countries.
Sustainable Infrastructure for Poverty
Reduction and Social Well-being
 Sustainable and Green - the difference
• Although the words “green” and “sustainable” are often used
interchangeably, there are several differences between them,
meaning that a “green” building is not always “sustainable”.
• For example, bamboo flooring is a popular green material, but it is
not sustainable. A lumber product made from a renewable resource is
green, but most bamboo flooring is made in Asia and transported by
ships and trucks to different countries all around the world. The air
pollution caused and the fuel used to transport the material turn it
into the opposite of a sustainable material, since it contributes to
global climate change.
• Another example can be the wood used to build a house. While wood
is generally considered an eco-friendly or green product, it is not
always sustainable. Wood is sustainable if the company that cuts
down the trees does not permanently deplete the forest. If it is
harvested in an environmentally irresponsible way, it is not
sustainable at all.
 Sustainable and Green - the difference
• The importance of sustainability lies in the “future” factors, which
set a higher standard than those used to define green building.
• Sustainable products reduce the impact on the environment by
using responsibly-sourced products; those that are either
completely renewable or sustainably harvested. A sustainably
harvested source material is gathered in a way that does not affect
the surrounding area, pollute the air or permanently reduce the
supply.
• The use of materials and resources that are sustainable, have low
embodied energy, and produce a minimal environmental impact are
key elements in green construction, as is the efficient use of water
by appliances, faucets and shower heads, the recycling of grey
water, and the reuse of rain water for landscaping and other non-
potable purposes.
 Green Infrastructure
• Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network of natural
and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed
and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services such as
water purification, air quality, space for recreation and climate
mitigation and adaptation. This network of green (land) and blue
(water) spaces can improve environmental conditions and therefore
citizens' health and quality of life. It also supports a green economy,
creates job opportunities and enhances biodiversity.
• Green Infrastructure or blue-green infrastructure is a network
providing the “ingredients” for solving urban and climatic
challenges by building with nature. The main components of this
approach include stormwater management, climate adaptation,
less heat stress, more biodiversity, food production, better air
quality, sustainable energy production, clean water and healthy
soils.
 Green Infrastructure
• Green infrastructure is an approach to water management that
protects, restores, or mimics the natural water cycle. Green
infrastructure is effective, economical, and enhances community
safety and quality of life.
• Green infrastructure incorporates both the natural environment
and engineered systems to provide clean water, conserve
ecosystem values and functions, and provide a wide array of
benefits to people and wildlife.
• Green infrastructure also serves to provide an ecological framework
for social, economic and environmental health of the surroundings.
• Green infrastructure investments boost the economy, enhance
community health and safety, and provide recreation, wildlife, and
other benefits.
 Green Infrastructure
• A robust infrastructure system that supports sustainable
development is essential to national prosperity, personal and public
health, community vitality, and economic competitiveness. Green
infrastructure systems, in their most robust sense, are a critical
element of sustainable development.
• Green infrastructure solutions can be applied on different scales,
from the house or building level, to the broader landscape level. On
the local level, green infrastructure practices include rain gardens,
permeable pavements, green roofs, infiltration planters, trees and
tree boxes, and rainwater harvesting systems. At the largest scale,
the preservation and restoration of natural landscapes (such as
forests, floodplains and wetlands) are critical components of green
infrastructure.
Source: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/benefits/index_en.htm
 Urban Green Infrastructure

• Green infrastructure can and should be an integral part of urban

areas too – particularly in densely populated areas.
• Sustainable urban infrastructure is an infrastructure that
facilitates a place or regions progress towards the goal of
sustainable living.
• Properly designed parks, urban gardens, green roofs and walls
can all contribute to biodiversity. They also help tackle climate
change, significantly enhance the health and well-being of urban
residents, improving social cohesion and the quality of the living
environment.
• With the right kind of planning, urban development can be made
in a way that does not destroy the future potential of a site and
strikes the right balance between different needs.
Typical Components and Interfaces
of Green Infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Downspout Disconnection
Water from the roof flows from
this disconnected downspout into
the ground through a filter of
pebbles. This simple practice
reroutes rooftop drainage pipes
from draining rainwater into the
storm sewer to draining it into rain
barrels, cisterns, or permeable
areas.
Source:
https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Rainwater Harvesting
Rainwater harvesting systems
collect and store rainfall for later
use. When designed appropriately,
they slow and reduce runoff and
provide a source of water. This
practice could be particularly
valuable in arid regions, where it
could reduce demands on
increasingly limited water
supplies.
Source:
https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are versatile features
that can be installed in almost any
unpaved space. Also known as
bioretention, or bioinfiltration, cells,
they are shallow, vegetated basins
that collect and absorb runoff from
rooftops, sidewalks, and streets. This
practice mimics natural hydrology by
infiltrating, and evaporating and
transpiring—or “evapotranspiring”—
stormwater runoff. Source:
https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Planter Boxes
Planter boxes are an attractive tool
for filtering stormwater as well as
reducing the runoff that goes into a
sewer system. Planter boxes are
urban rain gardens with vertical walls
and either open or closed bottoms.
They collect and absorb runoff from
sidewalks, parking lots, and streets
and are ideal for space-limited sites
in dense urban areas and as a Source:
streetscapping element. https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Bioswales
Bioswales are essentially rain gardens
placed in long narrow spaces such as
the space between the sidewalk and
the curb. Bioswales are vegetated,
mulched, or xeriscaped channels that
provide treatment and retention as
they move stormwater from one
place to another. Vegetated swales
slow, infiltrate, and filter stormwater
flows. As linear features, they are
particularly well suited to being Source:
placed along streets and parking https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
lots.
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Permeable Pavements
Permeable pavement is a good
example of a practice that catches
water where it falls. Permeable
pavements infiltrate,
treat, and/or store rainwater where
it falls. They can be made of
pervious concrete, porous asphalt,
or permeable interlocking pavers.
This practice could be particularly
cost effective where land values are
high and flooding or icing is a
Source:
problem.
https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Green Streets and Alleys

Green streets combine more
than one feature to capture and
treat stormwater. Green streets
and alleys are created by
integrating green infrastructure
elements into their design to
store, infiltrate, and
evapotranspire stormwater.
Permeable pavement, bioswales,
planter boxes, and trees are
among the elements that can be
woven into street or alley Source:
design. https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Green Parking
Parking lots are a good place to
install green infrastructure that can
capture stormwater that would
usually flow into the sewer
system. Permeable pavements can
be installed in sections of a lot and
rain gardens and bioswales can be
included in medians and along the
parking lot perimeter. Benefits
include mitigating the urban heat
island and a more walkable built
environment. Source:
https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples

Green Roofs
A green roof system atop a building
helps manage stormwater and
reduce energy costs for
cooling. Green roofs are covered
with growing media and vegetation
that enable rainfall infiltration and
evapotranspiration of stored water.
They are particularly cost-effective
in dense urban areas where land
values are high and on large
industrial or office buildings where
stormwater management costs are Source:
likely to be high. https://www.epa.gov/green-
infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples
Urban Tree Canopy
City trees, or tree canopy, soak up
stormwater, provide cooling shade
and help to slow traffic. Trees
reduce and slow stormwater by
intercepting precipitation in their
leaves and branches. Many cities
have set tree canopy goals to
restore some of the benefits of
trees that were lost when the areas
were developed. Homeowners,
businesses, and community groups
can participate in planting and Source:
maintaining trees throughout the https://www.epa.gov/green-
urban environment. infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure
 Green Infrastructure - Examples
Land Conservation
Land conservation is another good
tool for communities to use for
reducing the risks of stormwater
runoff and sewer overflows. The
water quality and flooding impacts
of urban stormwater also can be
addressed by protecting open
spaces and sensitive natural areas
within and adjacent to a city while
providing recreational opportunities
for city residents. Natural areas that
should be a focus of this effort Source:
include riparian areas, wetlands, https://www.epa.gov/green-
and steep hillsides. infrastructure/what-green-infrastructure