Stormwater Solutions for Vulnerable Communities

“Heat vulnerability is just one issue these neighborhoods are grappling with.” In Tucson, Arizona, the desert climate, high temperatures, and increasing flood risk create unique challenges. And, as in many places, the most vulnerable communities are those affected the most. Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) programs in Tucson and surrounding Pima County are working to capture stormwater, reduce flooding, and lower temperatures for the area’s most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods. “GSI started as a grassroots effort across Tucson at the neighborhood level,” says Nichole Casebeer, ASLA, project manager and landscape designer for the Pima County Regional Flood Control District. “It also draws on a long history of indigenous water harvesting practices that deeply informs all GSI work in our region.” A multitude of programs offered by nonprofit and government partners provide access to…