Concrete in the city

ABSTRACT

Despite the hydrological imperative and engineering capacity for change, concrete storm water infrastructure remains obdurate in the urban waterscape. This obduracy manifests both as an unwillingness to remove existing infrastructure and the continuing construction of new infrastructure in locations previously free of these systems.

This paper identifies four critical socio-political values underlying the obduracy of concrete storm water infrastructure and the resultant urban stream syndrome. Following a brief critique of reactive storm water management frameworks to manage this syndrome, this paper articulates four common values of Indigenous science(s) that are well placed can contribute to improve storm water management. Supporting this argument is an example of Indigenous science(s) changing the form and function of a reach of an extant concrete storm water channel in Canberra, Australia. While these interventions will be assessed primarily from water quality perspectives, they contribute to a greater range of environmental processes than purely hydrological.

KEYWORDS:

• In-channel interventions
• Indigenous science(s)
• storm water

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. A treatment train is when several interventions are designed to work together to achieve water quality outcomes.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kate Harriden

Kate Harriden PhD research, at the Fenner School of Environment & Society ANU, investigates the application of Indigenous water science(s) to storm water management, ostensibly to improve water quality outcomes.  Current holder of the Aspi Baria Scholarship, she is also the 2020 Student of the Year for the ACT branch of the Australian Water Association (AWA).  The Global Water Forum’s Indigenous water knowledge topic editor, kate has held positions on a number of committees, including the Aust. Assoc. for Environmental Education (AAEE) ACT and National committees and the AWA ACT Branch Committee.  Her research philosophy is that research is for practical outcomes and knowledge is for sharing.