Perception of professionals working in João Pessoa and surroundings regarding sustainable urban drainage

Abstract

In Brazil, the adoption of sustainable urban drainage (SUD) measures is modest, and the conventional approach prevails. This research evaluates the perception of 377 professionals (civil engineers, environmental engineers and architects) that work in João Pessoa and surroundings regarding their knowledge on SUD, their preferences and barriers for adopting SUD. Most of them demonstrate limited knowledge on the subject, with difficulty distinguishing between conventional and sustainable measures. But the vast majority of professionals were willing to adopt SUD facilities in their projects, preferably infiltration trenches, permeable pavements and green roofs. The maintenance of the devices and the hirer/user acceptance were key aspects for this choice, while superiors’ disinterest, the unfamiliarity of entrepreneurs and financiers, and lack of governmental support were the primary barriers. There is a need to improve the academic education of these professionals and provide basic understanding of SUD principles for several other actors.

Keywords

• stormwater
• green infrastructure
• low impact development
• source-control