Adapting Green Roofs for Desert Climates

Abstract

The following paper is an in-depth assessment of the challenges and benefits of implementing green roofs (a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system that is installed on top of a flat or slightly–sloped roof) in hot and arid climates. (NPS) Green roofs provide a variety of benefits that would be helpful in the creation and upkeep of sustainable, green buildings-but they also bring about costs and a need for resources in an area where these resources are not abundant. Through an analysis of several different groups of vegetation, structures, and watering methods a discussion of the costs and benefits will help reimagine the traditional green roof to be better suited for the dry, drought-ridden desert climate of Tucson, Arizona.