Expanding vertical greenery in building facades in Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study is focused on exploring enablers and barriers of implementing vertical greenery in Sri Lanka and suggesting strategies to overcome barriers. First, a comprehensive literature review was undertaken to identify a set of enablers and barriers. As the research approach, a mix approach was adopted in this study using questionnaires and semi structured interviews in two phases. Questionnaires were utilized to gather data on enablers and barriers. Data gathered using questionnaires were analyzed using one sample t-test in SPSS statistical software package and Relative Importance Index (RII) to identify the most critical enablers and barriers of vertical greenery. Accordingly, ten enablers and eleven barriers were identified in total where restoring the biodiversity into urban building and reducing carbon dioxide while increasing oxygen to the environment are the most significant enablers and the lack of awareness of the benefits and performance of vertical greenery systems has been identified as the most critical barriers. In order to identify the strategies to overcome identified barriers an expert survey was carried out using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Several strategies were identified mainly in three areas as, research strategies, government intervention and regulatory framework related strategies and awareness strategies.