Forward-Looking Lens to Mainstream Blue-Green Infrastructure

Abstract

Healthy natural ecosystem can provide resilience and ecosystem services with socio-economic and environmental benefits. Strategic deployment through systematic connected open spaces, water bodies and vegetated spaces through spatial and fiscal planning can develop blue-green infrastructure (BGI). Performance of any BGI can be designed for targets to achieve. This chapter explores pertinent aspects which influence planning, implementation and maintenance of BGI. The pandemic COVID-19 brought challenges to development; yet, stakeholders agree on preservation and conservation of nature in the form of utilitarian use like BGI to attenuate anthropogenic interventions. Next-generation built environment will look for greater integration of building, services, surrounding open areas, and engineered (grey) and nature-based blue-green infrastructure. An innovative attempt on understanding future climate change scenario with Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs), Shared Climate Policy Assumptions (SPAs) and RCP–SSP–SPA framework using lens of Eco-DRR and EbA is discussed for developing future climate policy at country and sub-national levels. To propagate the BGI for Eco-DRR and EbA to arrest surface transformation and fragmentation, adaptive governance through participatory implementation can empower communities. The BGI, no-regret strategy for the leaders, authorities and communities, shall be part of sustainable resilient development schemes globally.