Water Flow Regulation

How Aquatic Plants Regulate Water Flow

Through their physical structure and biological processes, aquatic plants create natural systems that help control flooding, reduce erosion, and maintain healthy water cycles. At the most basic level, aquatic plants act as natural barriers that slow down water movement, with root systems capable of anchoring sediments and creating pathways for water filtration. Above ground, their vegetation reduces flow velocity and increases water retention time, allowing sediments to settle while preventing erosion and clogged waterways. With strategic placement, aquatic plants and macroalgae can be used to create natural irrigation networks, water retention zones, sedimentation reservoirs, and more. Such initiatives would support agricultural productivity, drought resilience, hydroelectricity generation, and healthier ecosystems.

Image source: Arkema, Katie & Griffin, Robert & Maldonado, Sergio & Silver, Jessica & Suckale, Jenny & Guerry, Anne. (2017). Linking social, ecological, and physical science to advance natural and nature-based protection for coastal communities. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1399. 10.1111/nyas.13322.

Pass NetZero's Role in Water Flow Regulation

Through our partnerships with academic institutions, we study how different aquatic plant species affect water flow regulation across various environments and how such qualities can be optimized as nature-based solutions in various sectors. Our research encompasses three primary focus areas:

Increasing community climate resilience

by implementing initiatives centered on flood prevention, stabilized riverbanks, drought resilience, reduced soil erosion, and improved water quality

Developing agroforestry solutions

by utilizing aquatic plants to create natural irrigation networks to reduce water consumption and establish water retention zones to bolster agricultural productivity

Advancing grid-vegetation integration

by promoting proper vegetation management at hydroelectric facilities, particularly those located on the Okavango River, to reduce reservoir sedimentation and improve water quality.

Additionally, through the promotion of carbon credit sharing mechanisms, our initiatives aim to promote collaborative partnerships between power producers and landowners to develop water release schedules that benefit both energy generation and ecosystem health.

Project Objectives

Atlas Creation

For tracking and documenting plant and macroalgae species based on water flow regulation capacities

Increase Climate Resilience

Develop optimized techniques for flood mitigation, erosion prevention, and drought resistance

Contribute to Local Economies

Create nature-based solutions to local community needs that bolster agricultural productivity, disaster prevention, hydroelectricity generation, and more

Knowledge Exchange

Create and expand existing knowledge-sharing networks to expedite data acquisition and collaborations with other stakeholders