Benefits of implementing best management practices under different land use scenarios

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Due to the development of cities and the reduction of green areas, runoff becomes an urban drainage problem. One possible solution to the problem is the use of best management practices. This paper aims to evaluate the costs of replacing the classic drainage system with best management practices, namely green roofs and permeable pavements. For such, it was taken as a study area an allotment idealized in the city of Rio Paranaíba-MG. The design of the stormwater drains and the survey of costs involved in their execution were performed by DIMGAP 1.0 software. Different scenarios of land use were established for economic evaluation of the implementation of green roofs and permeable pavements. Nevertheless, in some scenarios the maintenance of permeable areas was also considered. The results show the low economic viability, in the short term, of the adoption of best management practices. On the other hand, despite the high investment associated with the best management practices, the hydrological benefits stand out, such as the reduction of peak flow rates, the reduction of stormwater drains lengths and diameters, and the increased time of concentration; justifying in the long term the complementarity of best management practices to the classical drainage system.