Rationale for Studying How Institutional Capacity Can Influence the Adoption of Decentralized Approaches to Stormwater Infrastructure

In this paper we describe our rationale and preliminary plan for studying the impact of institutional capacity on the development of decentralized stormwater infrastructure. As a critical link in the water cycle, stormwater management is vital to the health of human beings and ecosystems, especially with continued rapid urbanization. In many cases, decentralized stormwater management (e.g., bioretention areas, green roofs, and permeable pavements) is technically and economically preferable to more centralized networks of pipes, channels, and treatment plants. Yet, even when they appear better, decentralized approaches are not always used. Institutional capacity, the ability to perform required tasks, of the various infrastructure institutions may help explain this missed opportunity. Drawing on the literature, we will study institutional frameworks within which stormwater management projects are developed. Questions guiding our proposed research include the following: To what extent are existing institutional barriers inhibiting decentralized stormwater management? How do these differ (e.g., between developed and developing countries and between corporations and communities)? Our hope is that a better understanding of the relationship between institutional capacity and decentralized approaches will improve stormwater management decisions. For example, we see potential to learn from other cultures to identify ways to encourage acceptance of decentralized stormwater in the United States.