I’m working on a small-scale project in a densely populated informal settlement (slum) in Djibouti. We have a serious stormwater runoff problem during the rare but intense rains, which leads to flooding and contaminated standing water. Our main goal is to manage this water, but we have a critical constraint: we cannot create a standard retention pond or any feature that holds standing water. Like, at all. Mosquitoes here are a massive health risk, so traditional retention ponds are off the table.
We want to solve the water problem and create a much-needed community asset. The idea is to build a shaded, pleasant seating area that also passively manages stormwater.
So, r/landscaping, I’m throwing this to you:
Any design ideas or sketches? How would you layout a seating area that’s also a functional water sink?Will this actually work? From a technical side, how can we make sure the water infiltrates fast enough, like best practices for ensuring 100% of the water infiltrates within 24-48 hours.
I’m looking for your brilliant ideas on designs , sketches, links to similar projects, or just crazy ideas for combining seating and water infiltration.
What are some tough-as-nails, drought-tolerant plants that can handle a occasional drink? We need shade trees that won’t mind the occasional flood.Besides trees, any simple, low-cost ideas for building shade?
Thanks in advance, everyone. This community space could be a game-changer for this poor and vulnerable community This is a grassroots project, so we’re working on a tight budget. All your clever, simple, and sustainable ideas are golden.
picture shows the park’s boundary and how stormwater currently flows through the area during heavy rain.
submitted by /u/AcanthisittaLost3232
[link] [comments]
