ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF GREEN ROOFS By

Although roof gardens are not new, as evidenced by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (approx. 600 BC), their usage was not widely propagated in our modern buildings. While the aesthetics and beauty of a properly manicured roof garden can be easily appreciated, the environmental and ecological benefits are somewhat less well known. However, the Green Movement in the 60’s has rejuvenated much interest in the promotion of roof greening as the answer to the host of problems related to rapid urbanisation such as the Urban Heat Island effect, increased stormwater runoff causing flash floods, poor air quality, increased energy consumption and loss of habitat and biodiversity. This paper examines some of the environmental benefits which green roofs can offer in mitigating the adverse impact of urbanisation caused by the creation of what is commonly known as the concrete jungle