Become a Rain Saver!
The impacts of climate change are increasingly felt in our daily lives, especially in urban environments where extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and increasingly frequent droughts are severely affecting infrastructure and quality of life. A change in approach to stormwater management is therefore crucial for municipalities, institutions, businesses and citizens alike.
The Urban Rain campaign’s Become a Rain Saver campaign will give everyone the chance to become a Rain Saver with a knowledge base, games and events.
Disadvantages of the traditional approach
In recent decades, the basic aim of urban stormwater management has been to drain water away from land as quickly as possible. However, this approach has led to a number of problems. The overloading of sewers, the increasing frequency of flooding and the failure to recharge groundwater all point to the shortcomings of traditional systems. These problems are not only a burden on the environment but also cause significant economic damage.
New directions: natural solutions in the foreground
A key element of this shift is a sustainable approach to stormwater management that focuses on the retention and use of water and the restoration of the natural water cycle. Natural solutions such as green roofs, rain gardens, permeable pavements and catchment systems not only make rainwater management more efficient, but also contribute to improving the urban microclimate and increasing biodiversity.
About the Urban Rain project
Led by the Hegyvidék Municipality (XII district), in cooperation with Erzsébetváros (VII district), Pestszentlőrinc-Pestszentimre (XVIII district), the Municipality of Budapest and several other professional partners, the main objective of the LIFE in Runoff project, which will be partly funded by the EU between 2021 and 2025, is to support urban climate adaptation in the field of rainfall management by finding and strengthening synergies between green, blue and grey infrastructures.
By combining a nature-based approach with technological solutions, we are effectively reducing the harmful effects of sudden rainfall. Vulnerability assessments will be used to identify intervention points in the three Budapest partner districts, followed by demonstration elements to showcase urban stormwater management options to topic experts, decision-makers and city residents. Our aim is that by the end of the project, our target groups will see rainwater as an asset, but also are aware of and apply solutions to reduce and prevent the harmful consequences of sudden rainfall.
