Topic 1 Main importance of green roofs synergies
Nowadays, the 56.2% of the global population is living in cities.
The increased population of the cities creates the need for appropriate living conditions. This is an important goal at local, national, and international level.
The issue of climate change continues to cause a significant risk with devastating consequences for the future of the planet.
During the first period of the COVID-19 outbreak (along with the quarantine period), it has been observed remarkable reduction of global emissions. Although, evidence from the 2008–2009 Financial Crisis warns that emissions could bounce back.
The global situation alerts that the green economies creation and the green recovery policies are an urgent need regardless of the pandemic restrictions and consequences.
- A high-quality urban environment will bring up substantial improvement in citizens’ everyday life and will enhance the sustainability in all the dimension of social prosperity.
- The adaptation of the green roofs does not refer only to the purpose of building appearance but it is also accommodated the efforts in dealing with environmental problems.
- “Green recovery” is expected to:
- mitigate the vulnerability of the local communities and the overall population,
- facilitate the processes in order to have cleaner air quality, healthier water, effective waste management, and enhanced biodiversity protection,
- bring up financial and economic benefits; thus, instigate new waves of entrepreneurial and industrial activities with a strong potential of job creation, income generation and reduction of economic inequalities (OECD Environment, 2020).
Definition of Green Recovery
“A green recovery is a widely adopted name for a package of environmental, regulatory and fiscal reforms to recover prosperity after the Covid-19 pandemic. There has been broad support from political parties, governments, activists and academia across the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries to ensure that investment to lift countries out of economic recession is spent in a way that stops global warming from the use of coal, oil and gas, and to invest in clean transport, energy, buildings, and corporate or financial practices” (Definitions.net, 2021).
Green Roofs- a growing trend
A green roof system is a method of sustainable residential roofing for urban areas, given the fact that the roof vegetation supports the ecology of urban spaces.
A green roof system is an extension of the existing roof which involves:
- high quality water-proofing
- root repellent system
- drainage system
Green roof construction requires the formulation of “contained” green space on top of a human-made building.
Green roofs can provide a wide range of public and private benefits and have been successfully installed in several countries around the world, as they constitute an innovative technology suitable for the creation of sustainable urban environments.
