A new approach to rainwater management: Amsterdam's blue-green roofs

Amsterdam is leading a global trend in smart, climate-adaptive rooftops that capture rainwater to reduce flooding and provide water for residents.

Matt Simon reports for Wired.

In short:

• Amsterdam has more than 45,000 square meters of blue-green roofs, designed to capture and store rainwater for later use.
• The blue-green roofs have layers that collect water for building residents to use for watering plants and flushing toilets.
• The Resilio project, using specialized software, is modeling the impact of these roofs to help predict and manage flooding.

Key quote:

“Our philosophy in the end is not that on every roof, everything is possible, but that on every roof, something is possible.”

— Kasper Spaan, policy developer for climate adaptation at Waternet

Why this matters:

As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of storms, innovative water management solutions like blue-green roofs can significantly reduce flooding while providing sustainable water resources to urban communities. Read more: Embracing rainwater through green infrastructure.