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Courtesy of Illinois Extension
When flooding occurs, communities are forever changed. The University of Illinois Extension is rising to the challenge by developing a program that trains communities on how to supplement their stormwater infrastructure with nature-based solutions.
Floods are the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States, and Illinois is expected to experience more rainfall over the next 30 years, according to the 2021 Illinois Climate Assessment.
Most municipal systems are not designed to handle heavy rainfall and the resulting millions of gallons of stormwater runoff from impermeable roofs, streets and sidewalks.
Nature-based solutions, also known as green infrastructure, mimic natural processes by allowing water to percolate into the ground, helping to prevent and reduce flood risks. Landscaping installations such as rain gardens with native plants or green roofs capture and reduce runoff while improving water quality.
With support from a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Illinois Extension is expanding its rainfall management offerings by creating an online course that provides communities with the tools, information and demonstrations they need to establish and maintain green infrastructure projects.
“We found that nature-based solutions are relatively new, and communities often don’t know how to maintain them. This is a barrier to implementing green infrastructure on a scale large enough to have an impact during flooding,” said C. Eliana Brown, Illinois Extension water quality and stormwater specialist and project leader.
The course is designed to enable community workers across the United States to increase their resilience to flood disasters.
The project is funded by the USDA NIFA Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program. This program supports innovative, education-based approaches to disaster preparedness and response to disasters caused by natural, man-made, or technological hazards that contribute to a community’s exposure or vulnerability.
Discover Extension rainfall management solutions at go.illinois.edu/RainfallManagement.
From selling food from your home kitchen to spraying pesticides in fields, Illinois Extension offers a variety of online courses and certifications. Explore available courses at Learn @ Illinois.
ABOUT ILLINOIS EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads the University of Illinois’ outreach efforts by translating research into action plans that empower Illinois families, businesses and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions and adapt to change and opportunities. Illinois Extension is part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.