Green space and habitat

In Senegal, urban flooding in the rainy season causes major damage to public and private infrastructure, and poses considerable social, economic and health-related risks to the human population, in particular the poorest. Poor drainage systems mean that rainwater floods the whole neighbourhood, paralysing transport, and economic activities and posing health and safety risks due to stagnation and contamination (e.g. increase in water-borne diseases). To respond to such emergencies, in 2015 several stakeholders (Senegalese government, local authorities in Dakar and the local community) initiated a project that aimed to build resilience to flooding in informal settlements of Dakar. The project consisted of building resilience to floods by focusing on 3 fields: 1) infrastructure (floodwater evacuation, solid waste management, urban gardening and greening); 2) policy (district flood contingency plans and national policy advice); and 3) capacity building (training and awareness building for beneficiaries and key stakeholders, with a special focus on empowering women). The project was concluded in 2017 however its benefits are still felt today by the inhabitants of Greater Dakar. (1,2,3)

Iloilo River Esplanade is a promenade and linear park along the Iloilo River, created as part of the Iloilo River Rehabilitation Project. It is the largest linear park in the Philippines and was designed by the landscape architect Paulo Alcazaren. The esplanade is one of a kind in the country that aims to foster biodiversity, store carbon by mangroves and provide protection from possible flood damages. Furthermore, the project aspires to build a lifestyle hub for the locals and promotes educational eco-tourism. The site was an existing dike road devoid of shade and originally built just as a flood control measure. The redesign has showcased its effect on public amenities, received several recognitions and has become a magnet for tourists in this city. [1, 3, 6, 7]

The Central Forest Corridor surrounds the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, and provides various ecosystem services to the population, with a particular emphasis on providing water for communities within both the corridor and Tegucigalpa (Ref. 3). However, limited access to water is common across Honduras, attributed to the degradation of watersheds as a result of deforestation and pollution of both ground and surface water (Ref. 1). Climate scenarios further "indicate that existing water scarcity will be exacerbated by climate change and increasing variability"... with "the main urban areas (Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula) and several agricultural areas (Patuca basin)...fac[ing] increased water scarcity in the near future" (Ref. 1).

Mérida city developed a Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan (Plan Municipal de Infraestructura Verde), in order to "strengthen the green infrastructure system through planning, design and implementation of urban strategies at different scales of actions and projects that contribute to enriching ecosystem services in the public and private space of the Municipality of Mérida" (Ref. 1). The plan has four axes, providing a comprehensive and transdisciplinary approach to integrating nature-based solutions into city planning and the design of public spaces in order to provide climate change adaptation and mitigation benefits (Ref. 1).
The Mérida Green Infrastructure Plan shares strong ties with a state-wide strategy, 'Arborizando Yucatán', which promotes reforestation efforts across the 106 municipalities of the state in order to "help reduce the effects of climate change, have more areas green and a better climate for the benefit of current and future generations of Yucatecans" (Refs. 3 & 4). At both the municipal and state level, the relevant administrations (Mérida City Council and the State Government, respectively) have signed an agreement (Declaration for Mérida 2050), whereby both pledged to plant at least 200,000 native trees in the City of Merida, running alongside both the Mérida Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan and the Aborising Yucatán Strategy (Ref. 2).

In April 2021, the Kochi City Corporation in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and ICLEI South Asia inaugurated the Subhash Bose Park after a thorough renovation. The project was part of the overarching project "INTERACT-Bio" by ICLEI South Asia and the KAWAKI initiative by the WRI (part of the Cities4Forests movement in Kochi). The initiative was launched to demonstrate the application of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for climate mitigation in Kochi. The project aims to develop urban grooves similar to the traditional grooves that once existed in Kerala. Additionally, with this project, ICLEI South Asia aimed to address the problems of climate change through mainstreaming biodiversity objectives across the city. The park plays as a major carbon sink at the heart of the city that is home to over 300 species of native trees and many more species of native plants. Furthermore, the Kochi City Corporation is focused on increasing native biodiversity and communicating the importance of this biodiversity to residents in order to ensure long term conservation efforts. This was a key motivator for the city in the conceptualization of the garden which not only improves the native biodiversity of the city but also serves as a demonstration site for nature education. The park also includes a newly built pollinator garden that has augmented the pollinator base in the city. [1, 4, 7, 10]

"Siargao It Up" is the mangrove conservation programme in Del Carmen, Siargao Islands of the Philippines. The municipality of Del Carmen hosts the largest mangrove forest in the Philippines – consisting of 4,871 hectares as of 2018. This mangrove forest is the habitat of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna both in marine, wetland and terrestrial areas. This ecosystem helps maintain the island's ecological balance by providing rich breeding grounds for aquatic lives. Furthermore, the forest plays a key role in capturing and storing carbon and helps the Philippines to meet its goal of carbon emission reduction. In addition to creating habitats and storing carbon, the forest also protects the community from the inevitable effects of climate change disasters. Recently, in December 2021, it was able to protect the residents from the onslaught of Typhoon Odette. [1, 2, 3]

Droughts are one of the most serious threats to water availability, food security, and local livelihoods in the semi-arid areas of Tanzania. Drought condition is coupled with a rainfall deficit and poor rainfall distribution. In Tanzania, drought conditions are observed more frequently in the country's northern and central portions (Arusha, Manyara, Shinyanga, Simiyu, and Dodoma). This consideration was paramount when in 2019, the Municipality of Dodoma, alongside ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, erected a new garden positioned in a square in the centre of the city. Nyerere Square in Dodoma used to be an open, concrete space with the statue of Julius Kambarage Nyerere the only attraction apart from the informal traders scattered along the main walkway. Nyerere is the former prime minister and president of Tanganyika, as Tanzania was known before, and subsequently president of Tanzania. It would prove challenging to sustain such an initiative in this drought-prone city. To ensure the park outlived the project, the team installed a greywater system to irrigate the new garden and ensure there was always sufficient water to help the plants flourish. (1,2,3)

South Africa is struggling to provide services to the millions of poor people migrating to the major centres and living in informal settlements (shanty towns), built on land that was formerly used for agriculture or pasturage. Vegetation is sparse and the open spaces between the houses are generally of beaten earth. These areas face persistent challenges that undermine health and everyday well-being and increased disaster risk due to their poor design and lack of green infrastructure. Moreover, informal settlements are very vulnerable to flooding events, which affect the quality of life of the people living in them. Such a case is Diepsloot, a settlement in Johannesburg, where a team of researchers implemented a sustainable urban drainage system with the purpose of alleviating poor water infrastructure and addressing issues related to land erosion and environmental degradation. This research has been benefiting from the support of the local population through adaptive co-management and joint implementation of the intervention. (1,2)

The project focuses on encouraging residents of Rio de Janerio's Arará favela to install green roofs on their homes, primarily to reduce the urban heat island effect but also to harness the broader social, environmental, and economic benefits which green roofs can provide, "...from providing thermal protection and improving air quality to mitigating stormwater runoff pollution and saving costs for both residents and cities" (Refs. 2 & 3). The individual behind the project, Luis Cassiano Silva, further hopes that introduction of green roofs into the favela which help to improve residents’ quality of life and "describes the emotional benefits of incorporating green space into the favela landscape" (Ref. 2).

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has established a network of Biodiversity Parks in Delhi with unique landscapes that harbour a diversity of plants, animals and microbes living in ecologically sustainable biotic communities and rendering multiple ecological services. Presently there are seven Biodiversity Parks developed by DDA located across the landforms of Delhi. These parks have a mosaic of habitats with rich floristic and faunistic diversity that function as a dynamic ecosystem. They have ecosystem processes such as organic matter decomposition, regeneration of plants, pollination, resting and nesting of birds and colonisation by other animals. The biodiversity parks in Delhi have proved to provide extreme essential services by creating ecological corridors and maintaining the genetic diversity in an urban setup. Furthermore, these parks have shown substantial potential in storing carbon and other pollutants and help in mitigating climate change. [2, 3]