{"id":3611,"date":"2024-08-14T13:01:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T13:01:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/docs\/uncategorized\/what-role-do-green-roofs-and-water-retention-roofs-play-in-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:18:21","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T13:18:21","password":"","slug":"what-role-do-green-roofs-and-water-retention-roofs-play-in-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs\/flat-roof-systems\/what-role-do-green-roofs-and-water-retention-roofs-play-in-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"What role do green roofs and water retention roofs play in climate change?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, we are increasingly confronted with <strong>extreme weather conditions<\/strong>, including short but intense rain showers. This puts significant pressure on the water management systems in urban areas. In many cases, the existing sewer infrastructure is not designed to handle such peak loads, resulting in waterlogging, flooding, and damage to buildings and infrastructure. <strong>Green roofs and water retention roofs<\/strong> offer effective and <strong>sustainable solutions<\/strong> to tackle these challenges.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Green roofs: more than just aesthetics<\/span><\/h5>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.iko.com\/en\/flat-roof-systems\/solutions\/iko-green-roofs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Green roofs<\/a>, also known as vegetated roofs, primarily contribute to buffering rainwater. The vegetation layer, substrate, and underlying roof structure work together like a sponge, absorbing rainfall and gradually releasing it. As a result, the load on the drainage system is significantly reduced.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to water management, green roofs offer several other <strong>benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong data-start=\"1046\" data-end=\"1068\">Thermal insulation<\/strong>: They improve the building\u2019s energy efficiency by reducing temperature fluctuations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong data-start=\"1156\" data-end=\"1176\">Air purification<\/strong>: Vegetation helps filter fine dust particles and contributes to improved air quality.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong data-start=\"1265\" data-end=\"1281\">Biodiversity<\/strong>: Green roofs create new habitats for insects, birds, and other urban wildlife.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong data-start=\"1363\" data-end=\"1389\">Extended roof lifespan<\/strong>: The waterproofing layer beneath a green roof is protected from UV radiation and extreme temperatures, which prolongs its service life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IKO offers a range of high-quality bituminous membranes specifically designed for use in green roofing systems:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.iko.com\/en\/product\/flat-roof-systems\/iko-roofgarden-pantera\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>IKO roofgarden pantera<\/strong><\/a>: a root-resistant elastomeric membrane with excellent mechanical performance, ideal as a base layer under green roofs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.iko.com\/en\/product\/flat-roof-systems\/iko-roofgarden\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>IKO roofgarden<\/strong><\/a>: suited for extensive green roofs with a smart and efficient build-up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/eu.iko.com\/en\/product\/flat-roof-systems\/iko-carbon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IKO carbon<\/strong><\/a>: a durable top layer suitable for use in green roofing systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Water retention roofs: controlled buffering on a larger scale<\/span><\/h5>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/eu.iko.com\/en\/flat-roof-systems\/solutions\/iko-water-retention-roofs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Water retention roofs<\/a> take things a step further than traditional green roofs. They are designed to temporarily store rainwater on the roof and gradually release it into the sewer system. This is achieved through a specially designed retention structure, consisting of elements such as retention crates or buffer zones that hold water in place.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Key <strong>benefits<\/strong> of water retention roofs include:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong data-start=\"2620\" data-end=\"2643\">Peak flow reduction<\/strong>: By temporarily retaining rainwater, these roofs prevent sewer overflow during heavy rainfall events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong data-start=\"2748\" data-end=\"2774\">Efficient use of space<\/strong>: Instead of occupying ground-level space, the roof surface becomes multifunctional.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong data-start=\"2861\" data-end=\"2893\">Increased climate resilience<\/strong>: Retention roofs actively contribute to sustainable water management and urban climate adaptation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00a0<br\/><br\/>IKO offers a reliable solution for this application as well. <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/eu.iko.com\/en\/product\/flat-roof-systems\/iko-roofgarden-pantera\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>IKO roofgarden pantera<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0is an ideal waterproofing membrane for use in water retention roofs. This bituminous membrane is root-resistant, compartmentalizable, and features high puncture resistance.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h5>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Green roofs and water retention roofs are no longer a luxury \u2014 they are a vital part of climate adaptation strategies in modern cities. Not only do they provide practical water management benefits, but they also contribute to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable living environment.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At IKO, we strive to offer innovative roofing solutions that are both technically reliable and ecologically responsible. The bituminous membranes listed above form the foundation of these durable roofing systems, with a strong focus on quality, durability, and long-term performance.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/contact\/\">Contact<\/a> your IKO advisor for more information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today, we are increasingly confronted with extreme weather conditions, including short but intense rain showers. This puts significant pressure on the water management systems in urban areas. In many cases, the existing sewer infrastructure is not designed to handle such peak loads, resulting in waterlogging, flooding, and damage to buildings and infrastructure. Green roofs and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"doc_category":[63],"doc_tag":[64,336,900,65,863,866,883,861,307],"glossaries":[],"class_list":["post-3611","docs","type-docs","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","doc_category-flat-roof-systems","doc_tag-bitumen-en","doc_tag-circularity","doc_tag-climate","doc_tag-flat-roof","doc_tag-gray-water","doc_tag-green-roof","doc_tag-rainwater-en","doc_tag-retention-roof","doc_tag-roofing-en"],"year_month":"2026-10","word_count":494,"total_views":"345","reactions":{"happy":"0","normal":"0","sad":"0"},"author_info":{"name":"Luna Degraeve","author_nicename":"luna","author_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/author\/luna\/"},"doc_category_info":[{"term_name":"Flat roof systems","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-category\/flat-roof-systems\/"}],"doc_tag_info":[{"term_name":"bitumen","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/bitumen-en\/"},{"term_name":"circularity","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/circularity\/"},{"term_name":"climate","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/climate\/"},{"term_name":"Flat roof","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/flat-roof\/"},{"term_name":"gray water","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/gray-water\/"},{"term_name":"green roof","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/green-roof\/"},{"term_name":"rainwater","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/rainwater-en\/"},{"term_name":"retention roof","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/retention-roof\/"},{"term_name":"roofing","term_url":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/docs-tag\/roofing-en\/"}],"knowledge_base_info":[],"knowledge_base_slug":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/3611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/docs"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3611"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/3611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3612,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/docs\/3611\/revisions\/3612"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3611"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"doc_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_category?post=3611"},{"taxonomy":"doc_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/doc_tag?post=3611"},{"taxonomy":"glossaries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ikoknowledgecenter.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/glossaries?post=3611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}