Talk by Neha Gupta, UA Arizona Institute of Resilience: Current questions and opportunities surrounding urban stormwater management using green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) in semi-arid cities such as Tucson, Arizona

Seminar Format

Available in-person and via Zoom webinar. Contact the department to subscribe to the email list (zoom link provided in announcement).

Abstract

Cities in water-stressed regions such as southern Arizona experience paradoxical issues of flooding and drought and are exploring opportunities to use stormwater capture and use techniques such as green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to address these issues. The use of stormwater is of increasing interest within integrated urban water management efforts due to their potential to expand water supplies and provide multi-benefit solutions such as flood control and urban heat island mitigation. Increasing regional implementation of these practices has provided the opportunity to approach the City of Tucson as a living laboratory.

This presentation describes research efforts undertaken in Tucson, Arizona to conduct and link urban runoff monitoring and surface water modeling analyses to support management questions surrounding GSI implementation and monitoring. Particular attention is dedicated to the development of runoff and hydrochemical datasets typically underrepresented in semi-arid urban environments. This presentation will describe analyses used to quantify stormwater with the goal of expanding dialogue and collaboration to support the integration of hydrological tools in research centered around contemporary urban hydrological issues.

Bio

Neha Gupta is a graduate of the University of Arizona's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences and is currently is an Assistant Research Professor at the Arizona Institutes for Resilience (AIR), where she continues to work on research and collaborative efforts centered around urban hydrological and water resource management issues. She participates in and conducts research on using stormwater as a resource, green stormwater infrastructure in arid urban environments, and interdisciplinary approaches to evaluating and addressing water supply and demand imbalances. Prior to joining the University of Arizona, Neha worked as an environmental consultant on contaminated soil and groundwater issues.

Neha Gupta, HAS Alumna: [Email: nehagupta@arizona.edu | Arizona Institute for Resilience |