UBC Okanagan researchers, along with a team from Delft University of Technology, have been looking the placement of wind turbines and at how large wind farms can alter natural wind patterns.

While wind farms have become a widely popular method of generating energy, researchers are now looking at the impact of these large farms on wind patterns and the surrounding environment.

Using large-scale simulations to better understand the way air moves across and within wind farms, researchers from UBC Okanagan and Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands have developed a modelling framework that will help improve wind energy forecasts and productivity.

The researchers also hope to learn how large wind farms can alter natural wind patterns.

“Wind farms are getting so large that they can actually alter the structure of the incoming wind,” explains Dr. Joshua Brinkerhoff, an Associate Professor in UBCO’s School of Engineering.

“The structure they are researching, which engineers call the atmospheric boundary layer, monitors how the wind’s speed, temperature and pressure varies with altitude.”

Not only is locating where to put a wind farm a science in itself, he explains, but fine-tuning the location of individual turbines within a grouping is paramount to power output. While software helps guide the placement of the turbines to ensure the highest yield, poorly designed wind farms will generate less power than expected, making the wind farm uneconomical.

“Our modelling framework is among the first to clearly describe how wind farms alter the atmospheric boundary layer, which makes it tremendously valuable in helping engineers design better wind farms,” says Dr. Brinkerhoff.

Working alongside colleagues from TU Delft, doctoral student Sebastiano Stipa travelled to the Netherlands as part of a Mitacs Globalink exchange to conduct the research. The research team has developed an open-source, finite-volume framework tailored for large-scale studies of how wind farms interact with the atmosphere.

The modelling framework, called the Toolbox for Stratified Convective Atmospheres (TOSCA), is designed to conduct extensive simulations of the turbulence created by big wind farms in realistic atmospheric conditions. The paper outlining TOSCA was published this week in Wind Energy Science.

TOSCA, explains Stipa, can address at least two of the significant challenges currently facing wind energy by simulating boundary layer turbulence over large areas and the simulation of an entire wind farm under realistic atmospheric flow conditions.

“The results of this research will lead to a better understanding of potential wind farm power estimates and an increase in their energy outputs,” says Stipa. “This new modelling framework can serve as a roadmap for the industry.”

Dr. Brinkerhoff notes that computer modelling can help when wind farms are being established, especially to forecast whether they can create energy efficiently.

“The most significant finding is that our model can capture the interaction between large wind farms and the oncoming wind,” he adds. “To date, this hasn’t been captured properly, leading to overestimation of how much power a wind farm will produce. This kind of overestimation is financially disastrous for the wind farm operators.”

This research was supported by Mitacs Globalink, UL Renewables and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Computational resources were provided by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada and Advanced Research Computing at the University of British Columbia.

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In a first of its kind study, UBCO researchers examine what happens to a child’s brain when they remain sedentary.

A new study by UBC Okanagan researchers explores for the first time how sitting affects blood flow in children’s brains.

The School of Health and Exercise Sciences researchers wanted to determine how prolonged sitting impacts the blood flow to children’s brains and how exercise breaks can make a difference. Previous studies have been done on adults, but not a group of children.

“The young brain demands more energy than the adult brain,” says Dr. Christine Tallon, who led the study for her doctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Ali McManus. “This higher demand means a correspondingly higher level of blood flow to the brain. We are therefore quite concerned that prolonged sitting may be worse for children than for adults.”

To assess the impact of extended sitting, a group of children, aged seven to 13, visited a UBCO lab twice. On one visit, they sat for three hours straight. On a separate visit, they again sat for three hours but with a 10-minute exercise break—riding a stationary bike—each hour. For each visit, the researchers performed tests and measured blood flow in the brain using ultrasound.

“One test, called a neurovascular coupling task, looks at how blood flow increases when an area of the brain is engaged in a specific job,” says Dr. Tallon. “In essence, the act of thinking requires a quick, targeted hit of oxygen and nutrients, delivered by the blood.”

For this first test, the children were asked to solve a visual puzzle: looking for a Where’s Waldo character in an illustration. Visual stimulation is known to activate the occipital cortex which leads to a 20 to 30 per cent surge in blood velocity through the artery supplying it. However, the researchers found that with or without exercise breaks, the blood velocity remained unchanged. Dr. Tallon offers an explanation:

“As you might imagine, for children to stay seated for three hours presents a challenge. We allowed them to play games on electronic devices to keep them occupied and this likely impacted the test as the visual cortex would have been steadily engaged.”

This raises the question: if the brain is busy with a thinking task, is prolonged sitting actually a problem?

And this is where the second test comes in. Called cerebrovascular reactivity, this test did show an impact from excessive sitting.

Cerebrovascular reactivity is the ability of the brain’s blood vessels to dilate in response to stimuli—such as an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood—in order to increase blood supply.

A decline in cerebrovascular reactivity has been linked to a cognitive decline in adults.

To test cerebrovascular reactivity, the children were asked before and after the sitting period to breathe in a controlled mixture of air that included a higher than normal—yet still safe—concentration of carbon dioxide. This extra dose of carbon dioxide triggers the dilation of their brains’ blood vessels.

“After sitting for three hours without exercise breaks, the children’s cerebrovascular reactivity had decreased,” says Dr. Tallon. “In other words, the blood vessels had become sluggish.”

However, when exercise breaks were added, the children showed no sign of reduced cerebrovascular reactivity. Their blood vessels dilated at the same rate as prior to the test.

So, what does this mean for parents, teachers and caregivers who may have concerns about children being inactive for prolonged periods?

“Exercise is clearly beneficial and this is exciting,” says Dr. Tallon. “We did 10 minutes of exercise on the hour, but more research can help us identify the optimal dose of exercise to offset any effects of excessive sitting. We can safely say that having kids get up and move at least for a few minutes each hour is going to be good for them.”

The research was published in a recent edition of Experimental Physiology.

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UBCO researchers have determined that flower gardens intentionally planted beside fruit crops can double crop yield if the timing and blossoms appeal to the targeted bumble bees. Photo credit: Dr. Amanda Liczner.

The term “if you build it, they will come” has taken on a whole new meaning when it comes to creating flower gardens to attract specific pollinators like wild bumble bees.

UBC Okanagan researchers Drs. Rebecca Tyson and Bruno Carturan, both with the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, wanted to investigate whether flower gardens—specifically placed beside a crop to attract and support insect pollinators—actually benefit both the bees and crop production.

“Planting wildflower patches near crop fields is considered a potentially effective strategy to support both the abundance and diversity of pollinators and the services they provide,” says Dr. Carturan. “But these management strategies can be costly and not always effective in enhancing crop yield.”

Planting supplemental gardens can lead to larger and healthier wild bee populations, which should be good for crop pollination. However, field studies show contradictory results—while some indicate an increase in crop yield directly related to pollination services, others show no discernible effect.

“While the plan makes sense on paper, it can create a conundrum,” he says. “With more bees in the landscape, there is the potential for greater pollination of crop flowers. But bees can prefer different flowers, guided by nectar sugar content, flower shape and pollen nutrient composition. Consequently, the presence of wildflower patches beside a berry crop could divert bees from pollinating the crop.”

Curious about this distraction phenomenon, Dr. Carturan set out to understand the interplay between the relative timing of crop and wildflower bloom, as well as the quantity, quality and relative attractiveness of the flowers.

For this study, he focused specifically on blueberry crops, an emblematic agricultural product in BC, and bumble bees, which are known for their superior efficiency in pollinating blueberry flowers compared to honey bees. He wanted to vary the size of the crop area, the size of the planned garden relative to the crop and the relative nutritional quality and bloom time of both the crop and additional flowers.

“Creating a field study large enough to properly test how bumble bee pollination services respond to changes in all of these different parameters would be quite a challenge,” he explains. “So, we chose a mathematical modelling approach which required two steps that involved a lot of reading and thinking.”

The first is to design a model that aligns with the goals of the project and realistically captures the key ecological processes at play in the ecosystem. The second is to find proper values for the model parameters.

Dr. Tyson explains the model is fairly complex and they ran thousands of simulations—each characterized by a unique combination of wildflower patch size, nutritional quality of the blossoms and blooming period—before they were able to predict blueberry crop yield.

“Such an extensive sampling design, attainable only through simulation, offers a comprehensive picture of the interacting processes and trade-offs within the system,” she says.

The net result of those simulations determined that providing highly nutritious wildflower resources before the crop blooms can more than double the crop yield. Conversely, providing wildflower resources at the same time as crop bloom can reduce the yield by up to 50 per cent.

“The main result of our virtual experiment clearly shows that the most beneficial strategy is to generate a temporal spillover effect by providing a continuous supply of resources to the bees and avoiding too much competition between the wildflowers and the crop flowers,” she explains. “This keeps the bees well fed during the early foraging season when the colonies are growing, and it prevents a potential distraction effect during crop bloom.”

The researchers hope to refine the model to implement additional aspects of the ecosystem by, for instance, modelling several different bumble bee species rather than just one “average” species. The ultimate goal is to calibrate the model with locally relevant empirical data to help inform planting strategies on a real farm.

However, they advise caution while interpreting these results as they pertain to a virtual system, not actual bees and blueberry crops.

The research appears in Ecological Modelling.

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UBCO’s Dr. Adam Ford was part of a research team investigating how a tiny invasive ant is changing the eating habits of Kenya’s lions and improving the sustainability of zebras.

A newly published research paper demonstrates how a tiny, invasive insect has helped make savanna landscapes safer for zebras.

A joint project, including researchers from the University of Wyoming and UBC Okanagan, shows how invasive big-headed ants in a Kenyan savanna have caused lions to change their predatory habits— shifting their preferred prey from the iconic zebra to buffalo.

The paper, published today in the journal Science, determined the big-headed ants at Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy have made lions less effective when it comes to stalking and killing zebras, their primary prey.

It’s a clear example of how important interdependent relationships can be, says UBCO’s Dr. Adam Ford, a researcher with the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science and Principal Investigator of UBC’s Wildlife Restoration Ecology lab.

Whistling thorn trees, the dominant tree species in much of East Africa, provide nectar and shelter for native ants. In exchange, the ants defend the trees against grazers by biting them and emitting formic acid.

“The native ants defend these trees against elephants and other herbivores,” Dr. Ford says. “But the invasive ants kill these tiny defenders and eventually those invaded trees are killed by elephants. With fewer trees, lions aren’t able to stalk and ambush zebras.”

Along with Dr. Ford and UBCO’s Dr. Clayton Lamb, the research team included Wyoming doctoral student Douglas Kamaru along with researchers from the Nature Conservancy, the University of Florida, the University of Nairobi, Duke University, the University of Glasgow, Karatina University, the University of Nevada-Reno and the US Geological Survey.

“The good news is that the lion population hasn’t declined since the insect invasion,” says Kamaru, who’s part of Professor Jacob Goheen’s research group at the University of Wyoming’s Department of Zoology and Physiology. “This is likely because lions have switched their diets from zebras to African buffalo, which are equally at risk of lion predation in invaded areas.”

The researchers hypothesized that the loss of tree cover would affect the interactions of lions and their primary prey species, zebras. Using a number of study plots—some invaded by big-headed ants, some not—and studying zebra and lion activity, the scientists found that the big-headed ant invasion reduced the occurrence of zebra kills by lions by increasing openness across the landscape.

“We show that the spread of the big-headed ant, one of the globe’s most widespread and ecologically impactful invaders, has sparked an ecological chain reaction that reduces the success by which lions can hunt their primary prey,” the researchers wrote.

The study took place at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, a working ranch in the Laikipia region of central Kenya. The researchers say such properties are invaluable for understanding savanna ecology.

“The coexistence of lions, large wild herbivores and ranching in Kenya helped make this study possible. Such landscapes are under ever-increasing pressure to develop agriculture and housing, yet this property persists through sustainable land use management,” says Dr. Ford. “We were very fortunate to work with Kenyan students, researchers and government to study some of the most iconic species in the world today.”

Whistling thorn trees provide nectar and shelter for native ants. Invasive ants kill the native ants and eventually those invaded trees are killed by elephants.

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Local writer Shelley Wood is UBCO’s latest Writer in Residence and this year’s judge of the annual short story contest.

Kelowna-based author Shelley Wood is spending two weeks this spring at UBC Okanagan as the campus’s next Writer in Residence.

Part of her role will be to read and provide feedback on manuscripts from local writers, host a public lecture and judge the many entries for the Okanagan Short Story Contest.

The goal of UBCO’s Writer in Residence program is to promote Canadian authors and literature to Okanagan residents while at the same time, providing budding writers an opportunity to receive feedback on their creative work, explains Andrea Routley, Lecturer of Creative Writing and organizer of the residency program.

“Getting fresh eyes on your work can help you see what’s missing—tension, layers, characterization, pacing, or voice—or what you might need to cut for the work to draw a reader in. Sometimes that means helping you see what you need to change or fix and discussing ways to do that, but a consultation may also clarify for you what you absolutely can’t bear to part with, which can be the incentive you need to roll up your sleeves and get back to work,” Wood says.

Originally from Vancouver, Shelley Wood earned her undergraduate degree in English literature from McGill University and her master’s degree in journalism from UBC. Her short stories and creative nonfiction have been published in Grain, Room, Causeway Lit, Canadian Notes & Queries, Phoebe, the Antigonish Review, The New Quarterly, Bath Flash Fiction, Freefall and the Saturday Evening Post. Her debut novel The Quintland Sisters was an instant Canadian bestseller and her second novel The Leap Year Gene will be published next summer by Harper Collins Canada and Union Square Press in the US. She divides her time between her home in Kelowna, BC, and her work as a medical journalist and editorial director for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation in New York, NY.

Local writers of adult fiction or non-fiction are invited to submit manuscripts for Wood’s review and feedback. Wood will also meet with a select number of UBCO students and community writers between February 26 and March 8 to coach their writing.

Anyone who would like to submit their manuscript to Wood can find out more at fccs.ok.ubc.ca/about/events-workshops/authors. Manuscripts will be accepted between February 1 and 12.

Wood will also host a public reading and reception on Wednesday, March 6 in UBCO’s Creative and Critical Studies Building gallery at 7 pm. And as the judge of the Okanagan Short Story Contest, Wood will announce the winners on Wednesday, March 27 at the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art. Both events are free and open to the public.

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Next-generation mobile networks are expected to outperform 5G on many fronts thanks to research from UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering.

A new wave of communication technology is quickly approaching and researchers at UBC Okanagan are investigating ways to configure next-generation mobile networks.

Dr. Anas Chaaban works in the UBCO Communication Theory Lab where researchers are busy analyzing a theoretical wireless communication architecture that will be optimized to handle increasing data loads while sending and receiving data faster.

Next-generation mobile networks are expected to outperform 5G on many fronts such as reliability, coverage and intelligence, explains Dr. Chaaban, an Assistant Professor in UBCO’s School of Engineering.

And the benefits go far beyond speed. The next generation of technology is expected to be a fully integrated system that allows for instantaneous communications between devices, consumers and the surrounding environment, he says.

These new networks will call for intelligent architectures that support massive connectivity, ultra-low latency, ultra-high reliability, high-quality experience, energy efficiency and lower deployment costs.

“One way to meet these stringent requirements is to rethink traditional communication techniques by exploiting recent advances in artificial intelligence,” he says. “Traditionally, functions such as waveform design, channel estimation, interference mitigation and error detection and correction are developed based on theoretical models and assumptions. This traditional approach is not capable of adapting to new challenges introduced by emerging technologies.”

Using a technology called transformer masked autoencoders, the researchers are developing techniques that enhance efficiency, adaptability and robustness. Dr. Chaaban says while there are many challenges in this research, it is expected it will play an important role in next-generation communication networks.

“We are working on ways to take content like images or video files and break them down into smaller packets in order to transport them to a recipient,” he says “The interesting thing is that we can throw away a number of packets and rely on AI to recover them at the recipient, which then links them back together to recreate the image or video.”

The experience, even today, is something users take for granted but next-generation technology—where virtual reality will be a part of everyday communications including cell phone calls—is positioned to improve wireless systems substantially, he adds. The potential is unparalleled.

“AI provides us with the power to develop complex architectures that propel communications technologies forward to cope with the proliferation of advanced technologies such as virtual reality,” says Chaaban. “By collectively tackling these intricacies, the next generation of wireless technology can usher in a new era of adaptive, efficient and secure communication networks.”

The research is published in the latest issue of IEEE Communications Magazine.

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Researchers have created a physical theory encompassing both quantum mechanics and general relativity which can help scientists construct a complete theory of how the universe works. Photo credit: Bryan Goff on Unsplash

In a new study published in Nature Reviews Physics, an international research team, including UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Mir Faizal, has ventured into uncharted territories for physics by trying to blend Einstein’s theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics. This innovative approach paves the way for new insights into the nature of space and time.

General relativity explains the structure of the universe at a very large scale—the scale of galaxies. However, the universe at a small scale, such as atomic physics is described by quantum mechanics.

It has not been possible to construct a complete theory of the universe, encompassing both quantum mechanics and general relativity, explains Dr. Faizal. Physicists have long argued that any such theory cannot emerge from space and time.

This mind-bending observation of space and time emerging from something that is neither space nor time challenges our conventional understanding of the universe, he explains. This is the reason why blending general relativity with quantum mechanics is so difficult Dr. Faizal adds.

However, these researchers point out that this emergence can be understood using water as an analogy.

“Water is made up of individual molecules,” explains Dr. Faizal, an Adjunct Professor of Mathematics and Physics with UBCO’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science. “Water also forms shapes like a whirlpool, when it is drained. However, at the scale of individual molecules no such shape exists, and this geometric shape is an emergent structure. Similarly, the geometrical shape of space and time is emergent.”

This analogy helps to explain how space and time can emerge from a theory which does not exist within the confines of either.

“Any attempt to construct quantum gravity seems to indicate that spacetime would emerge from something that exists neither in space nor in time. So, we are now looking at a physical theory which is beyond space and time,” adds Dr. Faizal, who is also the Scientific Director of the Canadian Quantum Research Center.

Researchers now have used moving fluids to understand the emergence of space and time. This allows them to further investigate some deep questions related to the quantum physics of black holes. They hope this will foster collaboration between researchers from different disciplines to further the understanding of these complex phenomena.

The global research team includes Dr. Samuel Braunstein from the University of York in the UK, Dr. Lawrence Krauss, Dr. Francesco Marino from the National Institute of Optics in Italy and Dr. Naveed Shah from the Jamia Millia Islamia University in India.

The post Taking physics beyond space and time appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

Researchers have created a physical theory encompassing both quantum mechanics and general relativity which can help scientists construct a complete theory of how the universe works. Photo credit: Bryan Goff on Unsplash

In a new study published in Nature Reviews Physics, an international research team, including UBC Okanagan’s Dr. Mir Faizal, has ventured into uncharted territories for physics by trying to blend Einstein’s theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics. This innovative approach paves the way for new insights into the nature of space and time.

General relativity explains the structure of the universe at a very large scale—the scale of galaxies. However, the universe at a small scale, such as atomic physics is described by quantum mechanics.

It has not been possible to construct a complete theory of the universe, encompassing both quantum mechanics and general relativity, explains Dr. Faizal. Physicists have long argued that any such theory cannot emerge from space and time.

This mind-bending observation of space and time emerging from something that is neither space nor time challenges our conventional understanding of the universe, he explains. This is the reason why blending general relativity with quantum mechanics is so difficult Dr. Faizal adds.

However, these researchers point out that this emergence can be understood using water as an analogy.

“Water is made up of individual molecules,” explains Dr. Faizal, an Adjunct Professor of Mathematics and Physics with UBCO’s Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science. “Water also forms shapes like a whirlpool, when it is drained. However, at the scale of individual molecules no such shape exists, and this geometric shape is an emergent structure. Similarly, the geometrical shape of space and time is emergent.”

This analogy helps to explain how space and time can emerge from a theory which does not exist within the confines of either.

“Any attempt to construct quantum gravity seems to indicate that spacetime would emerge from something that exists neither in space nor in time. So, we are now looking at a physical theory which is beyond space and time,” adds Dr. Faizal, who is also the Scientific Director of the Canadian Quantum Research Center.

Researchers now have used moving fluids to understand the emergence of space and time. This allows them to further investigate some deep questions related to the quantum physics of black holes. They hope this will foster collaboration between researchers from different disciplines to further the understanding of these complex phenomena.

The global research team includes Dr. Samuel Braunstein from the University of York in the UK, Dr. Lawrence Krauss, Dr. Francesco Marino from the National Institute of Optics in Italy and Dr. Naveed Shah from the Jamia Millia Islamia University in India.

The post Taking physics beyond space and time appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

UBC Okanagan uses several low-impact developments, like this vegetative area outside the Commons building, that are intentionally created to help control and retain rainwater. Geoff Lister photo.

Climate change and varying rainfall patterns are forcing municipalities in semi-arid regions such as the Okanagan to investigate more resilient ways to retain and use stormwater.

With this in mind, a team of UBC Okanagan researchers used the campus itself to examine and evaluate the lifecycle of low-impact developments (LIDs) that are intentionally created to help control and retain rainwater.

“The Okanagan is a great case study that can help us better understand what developers and governments need to consider when building much-needed new housing without adversely impacting our environment,” explains lead author Dr. Sadia Ishaq, who recently completed her doctoral degree at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering.

Increasing populations and development trends are modifying urban land landscapes while producing large amounts of rainwater runoff, rendering curbs and gutters obsolete for overflow transport. The major limitations of conventional systems are related to a reduction in baseflow and groundwater recharge, which results in valuable resources being drained into streams or rivers.

Examples of LIDs include retention ponds, porous pavement, rain gardens, green roofs and bioswales—intentionally created vegetative areas that retain rainwater—to help reduce flood risks and collect runoff.

Using a lifecycle management analysis of LIDs at UBC’s Okanagan campus, Dr. Ishaq, along with Dr. Anber Rana, considered the resources and energy required throughout the lifecycle of the LIDS, as well as the release of waste and pollutants into the environment.

The aim was to evaluate the environmental impacts of LIDs installed at UBC Okanagan over an assumed service life of 30 years; construction costs and materials were also considered.

The university’s goal for sustainable runoff management is to capture 90 per cent of the annual rainfall and divert 100 per cent of it from the municipal sewage system through capture, reuse, infiltration and storage. Existing campus LIDs include the development of depressed rain gardens, bioswales, box planters and wetlands. These LIDs are intended for an area of 389 hectares and operate by gravity flow of runoff via the drainage system without pumps.

“Rainwater is considered a valuable resource at UBC Okanagan, and the campus has a series of on-site runoff retention and infiltration infrastructure, which aims to support zero-net impact targets on the environment,” explains Dr. Rana, study co-author and a postdoctoral fellow.

The findings determined that box planters and naturally occurring wetlands provide significant environmental and financial benefits beyond simple stormwater management, with box planters offering the lowest impacts.

“LIDs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs,” adds Dr. Ishaq. “Conservation of natural features with water holding capacity is highly recommended to reap ecosystem sustainability as well as cost savings.”

The researchers are now turning their attention to other circular economy principles when comparing other green infrastructure to gauge their potential compared to traditional methods.

A substantial investment by the federal government into green infrastructure, as part of the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund, suggests the government also sees the benefits of green infrastructure.

This study was carried out under the guidance of Drs. Rehan Sadiq and Kasun Hewage at UBCO’s Life Cycle Management Laboratory. This research was published recently in the Journal of Cleaner Production and was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

The post Climate change leads engineers to harness the power of green appeared first on UBC's Okanagan News.

UBC Okanagan uses several low-impact developments, like this vegetative area outside the Commons building, that are intentionally created to help control and retain rainwater. Geoff Lister photo.

Climate change and varying rainfall patterns are forcing municipalities in semi-arid regions such as the Okanagan to investigate more resilient ways to retain and use stormwater.

With this in mind, a team of UBC Okanagan researchers used the campus itself to examine and evaluate the lifecycle of low-impact developments (LIDs) that are intentionally created to help control and retain rainwater.

“The Okanagan is a great case study that can help us better understand what developers and governments need to consider when building much-needed new housing without adversely impacting our environment,” explains lead author Dr. Sadia Ishaq, who recently completed her doctoral degree at UBC Okanagan’s School of Engineering.

Increasing populations and development trends are modifying urban land landscapes while producing large amounts of rainwater runoff, rendering curbs and gutters obsolete for overflow transport. The major limitations of conventional systems are related to a reduction in baseflow and groundwater recharge, which results in valuable resources being drained into streams or rivers.

Examples of LIDs include retention ponds, porous pavement, rain gardens, green roofs and bioswales—intentionally created vegetative areas that retain rainwater—to help reduce flood risks and collect runoff.

Using a lifecycle management analysis of LIDs at UBC’s Okanagan campus, Dr. Ishaq, along with Dr. Anber Rana, considered the resources and energy required throughout the lifecycle of the LIDS, as well as the release of waste and pollutants into the environment.

The aim was to evaluate the environmental impacts of LIDs installed at UBC Okanagan over an assumed service life of 30 years; construction costs and materials were also considered.

The university’s goal for sustainable runoff management is to capture 90 per cent of the annual rainfall and divert 100 per cent of it from the municipal sewage system through capture, reuse, infiltration and storage. Existing campus LIDs include the development of depressed rain gardens, bioswales, box planters and wetlands. These LIDs are intended for an area of 389 hectares and operate by gravity flow of runoff via the drainage system without pumps.

“Rainwater is considered a valuable resource at UBC Okanagan, and the campus has a series of on-site runoff retention and infiltration infrastructure, which aims to support zero-net impact targets on the environment,” explains Dr. Rana, study co-author and a postdoctoral fellow.

The findings determined that box planters and naturally occurring wetlands provide significant environmental and financial benefits beyond simple stormwater management, with box planters offering the lowest impacts.

“LIDs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower energy costs,” adds Dr. Ishaq. “Conservation of natural features with water holding capacity is highly recommended to reap ecosystem sustainability as well as cost savings.”

The researchers are now turning their attention to other circular economy principles when comparing other green infrastructure to gauge their potential compared to traditional methods.

A substantial investment by the federal government into green infrastructure, as part of the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund, suggests the government also sees the benefits of green infrastructure.

This study was carried out under the guidance of Drs. Rehan Sadiq and Kasun Hewage at UBCO’s Life Cycle Management Laboratory. This research was published recently in the Journal of Cleaner Production and was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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