A Nature-Inspired Green–Blue Solution: Incorporating a Fog Harvesting Technique into Urban Green Wall Design

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper "A nature inspired green-blue solution: Incorporating a Fog Harvesting Technique into Urban Green Wall Design" proposes integrating fog harvesting with urban green walls. It explores how this technique can enhance sustainability in urban environments by providing water for green facades, improving air quality, reducing noise, and increasing thermal comfort. The study examines both the environmental benefits of green walls and the practical aspects of using fog collectors as a water source. Below, I offer recommendations for enhancing the quality of the paper.

Abstract

• The abstract clearly outlines the dual focus of the paper - green facades and fog harvesting as an irrigation system. However, it could benefit from a more concise articulation of the main research question or objective. Consider stating explicitly the primary goal of the study right at the beginning.
• The paper seems to address a novel aspect of fog harvesting, shifting its application from rural to urban settings. Emphasize this novelty more prominently, perhaps by highlighting how this research fills a gap in existing literature or practice.
• While the abstract mentions analyzing components, structure, and fabric of the fog collector, it could provide a brief insight into what makes this analysis unique or significant. Are there new materials, designs, or technologies being proposed?
• The abstract could touch upon the practicality and feasibility of implementing such systems in urban settings. This includes considerations like cost, maintenance, or architectural constraints.
• The sustainability angle is mentioned but could be elaborated upon. How does this system contribute to sustainable urban development? Does it have implications for energy efficiency or carbon footprint reduction?

Introduction

·         The introduction effectively sets the stage for the urgency of addressing the water crisis and the potential role of innovative solutions like fog harvesting. The mention of climate change and its impact on water scarcity is particularly relevant.

·         While the introduction touches on fog harvesting, it could benefit from a brief explanation of the basic principles of how fog harvesting works, especially for readers who may not be familiar with the concept.

·         The transition from discussing the water crisis to introducing green walls and fog harvesting could be more seamless. Clarify how the technology specifically contributes to the sustainability of green walls.

·         The introduction includes compelling statistics about air pollution and its health impacts. Integrating similar data or findings specific to water scarcity and the efficiency of fog harvesting could add more weight to the argument.

·         Towards the end of the introduction, the paper's aim is mentioned. This could be expanded upon to clearly outline the specific objectives and scope of your study. What aspects of green smart water collectors are you exploring? What are the expected outcomes?

·         The mention of enhancing the technological aspects of the device is intriguing. It would be beneficial to hint at what these enhancements might be or the challenges currently faced in integrating these systems into urban environments.

·         The introduction is well-structured but could benefit from smoother transitions between ideas, ensuring a logical flow from the problem statement (water crisis) to the proposed solution (green walls and fog harvesting).

Main body of the paper

• The descriptions of the different types of green walls (green facades and living walls) are detailed and informative. Consider adding more about the specific requirements for maintenance and longevity of these systems, as this could be relevant for practical applications.
• The section on the environmental benefits of green walls, such as thermal insulation, air and noise pollution mitigation, and wellbeing enhancement, is crucial. Expanding on this with more quantitative data or case studies would strengthen the argument. For instance, specific data on how much a green wall can reduce energy consumption or improve air quality would be valuable.
• While the section is comprehensive in explaining green wall systems, it could benefit from a clearer link to the fog harvesting aspect discussed in the introduction. How do these systems complement each other? Is there synergy in their combined use?
• The references and citations appear to be well-integrated, providing support for the claims made. Ensure that these references are the most current and relevant to the topic, reflecting the latest advancements in green wall technology.
• The paper could address practical considerations such as the cost, architectural constraints, and the suitability of these systems in different climatic and urban settings. This would be particularly useful for readers interested in the application of these technologies.
• Mentioning any emerging trends, innovations, or ongoing research in the field of green walls could add depth to the section. This might include advancements in materials, design techniques, or integration with other sustainable technologies.
• The section effectively integrates various studies to support the benefits of green walls. Ensure that these studies are presented in a way that clearly links their findings to the main arguments of your paper.
• The inclusion of specific data, such as the particle absorption rates of different plants and the sound absorption capabilities of green walls, is excellent. It might be beneficial to include comparative data to highlight the efficiency of green walls relative to other methods or materials used for similar purposes.
• While the focus on the Mediterranean environment is specific and relevant, it could be useful to briefly discuss how these findings might be applicable or adapted to other climates and urban settings. This would broaden the paper's relevance and applicability.
• When discussing the results of various studies, briefly mention their methodology. This helps readers assess the reliability of the findings and understand the context in which the data was collected.
• Address any challenges or limitations associated with implementing green walls, especially in relation to maintenance, cost, and architectural integration. This adds balance to the paper and acknowledges real-world constraints.
• Indicate areas where further research is needed or where the field is evolving. Are there new technologies or methods in development that could enhance the effectiveness of green walls?

Discuss how green walls can be integrated with other sustainable urban design elements (like fog harvesting systems, as mentioned in earlier sections) to create more comprehensive environmental solutions

• The section does well to integrate the psychological benefits of green walls with their environmental impacts. Emphasize how these benefits are interconnected, reinforcing the multifaceted value of green walls in urban areas.
• The observation that the positive effects on mood and well-being decline after a few weeks is intriguing. Discuss potential reasons for this and how it might influence the design and implementation of green walls for sustained benefits.
• The discussion on public attitudes towards green walls is important. Consider expanding on how these perceptions can influence urban planning and policy decisions, especially in the context of public engagement and education.
• The maintenance section provides practical insights into the upkeep of green walls. This could be expanded to discuss the balance between maintenance requirements and the benefits provided, especially in terms of long-term sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
• The section on plant selection for green walls is crucial. It would be beneficial to include more about the ecological considerations, such as promoting biodiversity, supporting local wildlife, and avoiding invasive species.
• Incorporating case studies or examples of successful green wall projects, particularly those that have demonstrated measurable wellbeing benefits, could provide practical insights and inspiration.
• Indicate areas where further research is needed. For example, exploring the long-term psychological impacts of green walls or understanding how different demographic groups respond to them.
• Discuss how insights from these studies can be integrated into urban planning and design to create healthier, more sustainable cities.
• The introduction to the water distribution challenges is well-articulated, setting the stage for the importance of exploring alternative water sources like fog harvesting. It would be beneficial to briefly mention the most affected regions or cities to give a more concrete sense of the problem's scale and impact.
• The explanation of fog as a viable alternative water source is informative. Emphasizing its potential as a sustainable solution in water-scarce regions would strengthen the argument.
• Mentioning specific real-world examples or case studies of successful fog harvesting implementations would provide practical insights into how these systems work in different environments.
• The discussion on integrating fog harvesting with building facades is intriguing. It would be beneficial to explore potential design considerations or challenges in more detail.
•  The section on maintenance is crucial. Expanding on the cultural considerations, especially in communities where these systems might be deployed, would add depth to the discussion.
•  If available, providing quantitative data on the amount of water that can be collected through fog harvesting, and how this compares to other water sources, would be valuable.
• Discuss the potential environmental impact of large-scale fog harvesting, both positive (e.g., water conservation, reduced energy consumption) and negative (e.g., potential ecological implications).
• Mention any ongoing research or future developments in fog harvesting technology that could improve its efficiency or applicability.
• Consider discussing the implications of fog harvesting for urban planning and policy, especially in the context of sustainable city development and climate change adaptation strategies.
• The discussion on combining green and blue systems is insightful. Emphasize the synergistic benefits of this integration, such as increased water efficiency and enhanced environmental impact.
• The comparison of different green wall types in terms of environmental impact, payback period, and compatibility with fog harvesting is valuable. Ensure that the differences between direct and indirect green facades and Living Wall Systems (LWS) are clearly articulated.
• The section highlights important structural considerations when integrating fog harvesting with different green wall systems. Expand on the technical and architectural challenges involved in this integration, especially for existing buildings.
• The mention of the payback period is important. Discuss the factors that influence these periods and how they might vary in different urban settings or climatic conditions.
• Address the maintenance requirements of combined green and blue systems. Discuss how these requirements impact the overall sustainability and feasibility of these systems.
• The section effectively discusses the combination of green and blue systems, highlighting their individual and joint benefits. Emphasize the synergistic effects of these systems, such as how fog harvesting can enhance the sustainability of green walls and vice versa.
• The distinction between direct and indirect green facades and Living Wall Systems (LWS) in terms of their compatibility with fog harvesting is valuable. Ensure that these differences are clearly articulated, focusing on how each system can be optimized when combined with fog harvesting.
• The discussion about the structural requirements for integrating fog harvesting into different types of green walls is insightful. Expand on the design challenges, particularly for existing buildings, and how these might be addressed.
• The mention of the payback period for different systems is crucial. Discuss the factors that influence these periods and how they might vary in different urban settings or climatic conditions.
• Based on the literature review and your findings, provide practical implications and recommendations for architects, urban planners, and policymakers. Discuss how these integrated systems can be implemented in real-world scenarios.
• The discussion section and the conceptual proposal for a dual facade system integrating green and blue technologies are intriguing. Discuss the practical feasibility of this proposal, potential challenges, and how it aligns with sustainability goals.
• Indicate potential areas for future research, especially in the context of technological advancements, scalability, and adaptability of combined green and blue systems in diverse urban environments.

 

Conclusions

• You've highlighted how this technology aligns with sustainability goals. It might be beneficial to explicitly link these findings to specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11), and Climate Action (SDG 13).
• Address the novelty of fog harvesting as a technology and the importance of its adoption in the architectural and urban planning sectors. Discuss potential barriers to adoption and how they might be overcome.
• Your research underscores the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, combining architectural design, environmental science, and urban planning. Highlight the importance of collaboration across these disciplines to develop effective sustainable solutions.
• Discuss how the integration of green and blue systems can enhance urban resilience, especially in the face of climate change and increasing urbanization. Mention how these systems can help cities adapt to environmental stressors.
• While you mention the ecological benefits, also discuss the economic aspects, such as potential cost savings in water and energy consumption, and the economic feasibility of implementing these systems on a larger scale.
• Conclude with a call to action for stakeholders in urban development, including architects, planners, policymakers, and communities, emphasizing the urgency and feasibility of adopting such integrated systems for a sustainable future.
• Briefly touch upon how this technology could be adapted or implemented in different global contexts, considering varying climatic conditions and urban layouts.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required

Author Response

Dear reviewer, thank you first of all for your consideration in reviewing our article and especially for your suggestions or improvements. Please find attached the corrections and changes made.
Best regards 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In this manuscript, the authors aims to explore the use of vegetation and nets to collect water from fog on facades to meet the needs of building functional requirements, particularly outdoor thermal comfort, water demands and encourage sustainability by suggesting a new architectural green-blue wall system. And through detailed analysis and explanation,They came to a conclusion of using green systems on the facade of a building plays an important role in the visual aspect but also offering substantial benefits such as mitigation of air pollution, improvement of thermal comfort, reduction of noise pollution, and promotion of overall well-being and combined with a new technique to collect water it could help the implementation of green walls in areas with a good amount of fog episodes but in need of running water for domestic and other purposes.This article is clear in thought, the experimental content is real, and has certain reference value. I would suggest accepting it after the following minor concerns are addressed.

1.       In the abstract, What's the difference between a blue-green wall and a green wall? I think it needs to be explained a little bit in the summary.

2.       In the abstract,Line 21 on page 1, It is widely used in rural areas, but there is no obvious turning point that research in urban areas is also necessary.

3.       I think there are too many keywords, Words like Noise Pollution、Thermal Comfort、Wellbeing can be removed. Is the term " façade " correct?

4.       Line 66-78 on page 2, a novel concept of a green smart water collector is not better reflected.

5.       I think figure 2 and Figure 3 can be more clear.

6.       Line 484 on page 13, What is the basis for this point classification? And I think Combination of Green and Blue System should be the third part of the full text.

 

7.       In the conclusions, The author mentions the green walls and Fog Harvesting Technique, but I think it is necessary to further summarize its relationship with the green-blue system, echoing the title and abstract.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The manuscript has good English expression ability, logical and smooth,  minor editing of English language required.

Author Response

Dear reviewer, thank you first of all for your consideration in reviewing our article and especially for your suggestions or improvements. Please find attached the corrections and changes made.
Best regards 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper provides a literature review on the use of vegetation and meshes to collect water from fog on building façades and roofs to meet the needs of building functional requirements, particularly air quality, thermal comfort and water demands. The paper describes a green-blue wall system with the word “green” related to vegetation and the word “blue” related to water collection.

After the introduction, Section 2 presents an excellent description of “green” related aspects. In this section, two misspelled words were found: fiering (filtering) in line 199 and Guimaraes (Guimarães) in line 211 (the latter appearing again in line 472). Section 3 is dedicated to “blue” aspects. I would suggest switching the order of sections 3.2 and 3.3, with blue system maintenance (a more general topic) appearing before fog harvesting in building façades (specific to buildings). Section 4 associates, in bullet list style, findings from previous sections, having the combined green and blue wall system in mind. This section stands out negatively and feels out of place; especially since it precedes a section—Section 5—dedicated to the literature review on combined green-blue wall systems. In my opinion, paper authors should discuss the possibility of removing Section 4, going directly from Section 3 to Section 5.

In section 5, I suspect there is a problem with reference number 23. Indeed, I had trouble finding the connection between reference 23 and Figure 8 depicting a living wall and a fog harvesting mesh (reference 23 does not mention a fog mesh). Please check the used reference or highlight that Figure 8 is adapted by paper authors. Moreover, consider moving the definition of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), presented in line 610, to the end of Section 5 (near line 574).

Section 6 provides the proposed green-blue wall system. In this section, please explain the meaning of ‘Km 0’ in line 615. In line 660, please introduce the abbreviation LFC (large fog collector).

Overall, apart from a somewhat unpolished transition from ideas presented in sections 2 and 3 that deal with the green system and the blue system in isolation to ideas presented in section 5 where both systems are combined, the paper is very good.

One last thing. Please check that the nomenclature is coherent throughout the paper (unnecessary use of different words to describe the same system/ concept). For instance: should both [fog] net and [fog] mesh be used?

Author Response

Dear reviewer, thank you first of all for your consideration in reviewing our article and especially for your suggestions or improvements. Please find attached the corrections and changes made.
Best regards 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Accept in present form

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Accept in present form