Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters

The Fechenheimer Mainbogen is the largest undeveloped floodplain area in Frankfurt am Main and a special recreational area in the Frankfurt Green Belt Internal link. Today, the Main Arch is mainly used for agriculture, but still contains numerous relics of a typical floodplain landscape, such as smaller floodplain trees, meadows and wet bank areas. Since 2015, the curve of the Main has been transformed back into a near-natural meadow landscape with water, alluvial forests and meadows in several steps. Animals and plants are given new valuable habitats and places of retreat, and people are given attractive recreational spaces in nature (10).

This intervention aimed to address low water levels and low water quality in the Sandall Beat Wood and Cantley Park. The problems have been identified by the council and this project was planned to improve the water levels as well as the water quality. This also helped in improving the gross water flow of the regions and protected the wetland habitats. In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, the project successfully engaged local communities. (Ref 2).

The £1 million project aimed to transform the area from arable land to a high-quality wetland by creating a number of interconnected reed beds and water bodies. The project recreates part of the old wetland landscape that used to exist on the edge of Doncaster 200 years ago before it was drained for other uses. A major benefit of expanding the wetland will be to provide better quality water for local communities and reduce the impact of flooding in the area. The project is a collaboration among WWF, HSBC, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the European Union. (Ref 1)

The once rich in fish Nidda river in the north of Frankfurt was canalized and dammed in the 20th century. River loops were pierced, filled in or made into oxbow lakes. Newly built weirs stopped the fish migration. The expansion provided good protection against flooding, but the river became a canal (2).
In the 1990s, the Nidda neighbours developed a program for the renaturation of the river, the concept "Natural Nidda". It was decided by the city council of Frankfurt am Main in 1998 (2). The project consisted of many measures aiming at the restoration of the natural course and ecosystem of the Nidda river, the creation new habitats for flora and fauna, the expansion of the floodplain area and thus the river's retention capacity, the deconstruction of weirs, the renovation and building of bridges and the reconnection of disconnected branches of Nidda. Besides the environmental aspects, another project goal was to make the riverside more accessible for local offering various ways for relaxation and recreation. (2,7)

The project area comprises the morphological floodplain of the Rhine to the north and south of the city of Karlsruhe and sections of the river Alb, covering an area of about 7.665 hectares in total. Alongside Karlsruhe, five smaller communities in the neighbourhood contribute to the project as partners. Due to the channelling of the Rhine, the construction of dykes and the isolation of river channels, the area has lost its natural floodplains and precious habitats and became more vulnerable to flooding. Major objectives of the project are the re-introduction of natural floodplains and the enhancement of natural habitats for local flora and fauna. (Ref. 7). The project included an exceptionally wide range of measures including species protection measures, the complete desludging of parts of the Rhine, the re-establishment of softwood and hardwood forests typical of the floodplain, the construction of bridges, the natural remodelling of the entire river Trench systems and the creation of new bodies of water. (Ref. 9) The project also provides environmental education, informing the public about activities and encouraging their participation (Ref. 7)

The Mab Lane Community Woodland was planted on a former playing field at Mab lane and Croxdale Road West in Liverpool. It is a part of the larger Mersey Forest initiative which has been increasing the amount of woodland and green spaces across Cheshire and Merseyside since 1991.
The new woodland which has a network of native trees, wildflower meadows a community orchard as well as seasonal wetland areas and footpaths, was officially opened by the local community in 2010. It also includes new pathways for walkers and cyclists and areas for family picnics (Ref. 2, 10). Mab Lane Community Woodland is a partnership project involving the Forestry Commission, Northwest Development Agency, Mersey Forest, Big Lottery, Riverside Group, Liverpool City Council and the Local Community (Ref. 10).

Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century and is on UNESCO's list of the world's cultural heritage. For about 30 years, large amounts of groundwater leaked, threatening the survival of the ancient site. In order to address this, sustainable water treatment and climate adaptation measures (involving the largest rain garden of Norway, swales etc.) at Bryggen were used to restore the water balance at Bryggen. (Ref. 1)

Carillion-igloo, a joint venture company formed between The igloo Regeneration Partnership and Carillion plc was selected by Newcastle City Council and the Homes and Communities Agency to work in partnership with them in the redevelopment of a number of sites in the Lower Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle.
The regeneration project has been carried out in line with the sustainable investment policy of Igloo and consists of 5 phases. Phase 1: The Mailings focused on the transformation of a former industrial brownfield into a vibrant residential area on the banks of the Ouseburn promoting sustainable, low-energy living, flood protection and community building. These objectives were achieved by green areas creation, sustainable drainage system application and unique urban planning measures. (2, 15)

The Brunton Park residential area in the northern part of Newcastle had a history of flooding as a result of urban growth in the local area and developments in the upper parts of the Ouseburn catchment. A total of 62 properties were at risk of sewer flooding whilst 74 properties were located within a flood zone. In 2014, the collaboration of the Northumbria Water, the Environmental Agency and the Newcastle City Council created the Brunton Park Flood Alleviation Scheme with the strategic objective to reduce the potential for flooding of adjacent properties from surface water and the Ouseburn, whilst also developing a sustainable, self-maintaining channel which supports environmental, social and economic purposes at the same time. (12)

The project included physical measures of embankment building, diverting part of the Ouseburn river, installation of sewage storing tank, and creating new water-dependent habitat (12)

"On June 1st 2017, Saint-Etienne Métropole officially committed itself to the implementation of measures to promote the circulation of wildlife between the different green spaces with important biodiversity in its territory" (Ref. 3). "Saint-Etienne Métropole has signed with 13 partners a new contract called "green and blue". It is a new blue and green framework for the whole territory, a regulatory tool for the protection of biodiversity" (Ref. 2). "It aims to continue and reinforce the actions already undertaken with a transversal and urban dimension" (Ref. 2).