Public local authority budget

Assemini, a municipality in Cagliari, has long grappled with hydrogeological instability, marked by major floods in 1999 and 2002. To mitigate future risks, the municipality launched a series of interventions focused on improving the hydraulic management of its waterways. These projects are part of a broader strategy to address recurring flood hazards exacerbated by the effects of rapid urbanization in the 1970s, which disrupted the natural water drainage systems (1,3). The central goal of the project is to reduce the risk of flooding by enhancing the functionality of existing waterways. This includes both preventative measures and structural improvements to the canal system to manage stormwater more effectively. These efforts aim to safeguard urban and rural areas from severe meteorological events. The project development involved a multi-phased approach starting in 2013, focusing on cleaning and maintaining minor waterways such as the Gutturu Lorenzu, Sa Nuxedda, and Giaccu Meloni streams. These efforts expanded over time, culminating in an agreement with the Land Reclamation Consortium of Southern Sardinia in 2015, securing both local and regional financial support. The interventions have covered over 24 kilometers of canals and streams, targeting key flood-prone areas (1,2).
Key interventions include the cleaning and maintenance of over 35 km of canals and streams, in partnership with the Land Reclamation Consortium of Southern Sardinia, supported by regional funding. A separate, large-scale intervention in Truncu Is Follas involves constructing an open-air diversion canal, a retention basin (44,500 m³), and new pipelines to redirect floodwaters, thus reducing risk for residents downstream in both Assemini and Elmas.

The urban garden in Miraflores park (Huertas las Moreras) was established already in 1991 on an old waste dump and contains 10500 m2 of plots for locals to grow fruits and vegetables [Ref. 1]. The creation of the gardens was initiated by citizens who formed an association and implemented it in cooperation with the City of Seville. The citizens were discontent with the lack of green space in the area, and the urban gardens came to be alongside Miraflores Park, which was also pushed by the locals. The initial goals of the gardens were to allow locals to produce their own food and to host educational activities [Ref. 2]. More recent developments exemplify the focus on education and knowledge. In 2022, the citizen science project "Planta Bienstar" was carried out in the gardens, where high school students measured the lead levels in the soil and crops. The project aimed to investigate if lead levels posed a health risk and if the gardens could reduce levels over time. The project was organised by the non-profit Descubre Foundation and funded by the foundation and the regional Government of Andalusia. The project relied on the knowledge and efforts of the citizens, the students and gardeners in an intergenerational collaboration where the young could learn methods from their elders [Ref. 3, 4].

The Cagliari Canal project is an initiative aimed at revitalizing and transforming the urban and natural landscape of the Cagliari Metropolitan Area in Sardinia. The project is rooted in the city's strategic metropolitan plan and seeks to restore and enhance the navigability of the Terramaini-La Palma canal, which had become disused and neglected over time​ (3,4). The primary goal of the Cagliari Canal project is to develop a connected, innovative, and sustainable urban environment by re-establishing the canal as a green and blue infrastructure​ (2). It aims to provide alternative, sustainable mobility options, improve connectivity between municipalities, and enhance the natural and urban environments. It strives to foster a sense of community by creating a shared space for residents and integrating modern amenities that align with environmental sustainability (1,4). It involved a highly participatory process, emphasizing community involvement from the initial planning stages. The Metropolitan Authority of Cagliari, in collaboration with local stakeholders, launched a series of consultations to gather public input on the canal's design and function​(3). These consultations were part of a broader initiative called LabMet, the Metropolitan Laboratory for Innovation, which facilitated the collection of ideas and feedback (1). The project was partly developed in response to the increasing environmental challenges faced by Cagliari, including the need to adapt to climate change. The canal's revitalization is seen as a key measure for enhancing the city's resilience to climate-related risks, such as flooding and heat waves​(1). By restoring the canal and its surrounding areas, the project aims to mitigate these risks through improved water management, reducing pollution, and the creation of green spaces that can absorb excess rainwater and provide cooling effects​ (2)

The Acropora Project is a coral restoration initiative launched in 2015 by the Martinican Regional Directorate of Environment, Planning, and Housing, primarily implemented by the nonprofit organization Assomer. It focuses on two critically endangered Caribbean coral species: Acropora cervicornis and Acropora palmata, as classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. While Acropora palmata thrives on the Atlantic seabed of Martinique, Acropora cervicornis had seemingly vanished from local waters by 2007, despite previously providing crucial habitats for marine life. However, this species was rediscovered in 2013 at Loup Caravelle on the Atlantic side of Martinique.
The initiative began by extracting cuttings from both species at Loup Caravelle and nurturing them at a separate site in Le Diamant. In 2019, these corals were transplanted to three locations on the seabed of Sainte-Luce, demonstrating surprising growth patterns despite the site's low to medium environmental quality.
The project's primary aim was to prevent the permanent disappearance of both coral species through spatial replication techniques, including cutting and transplantation. Particular attention was given to enhancing the genetic variability and range of Acropora cervicornis. The initiative also aimed to raise awareness about current coral conservation challenges.
Additionally, the project included a research component that contributed to a better understanding of environmental conservation and the restoration of Acropora cervicornis populations. Unfortunately, a temperature increase at the end of 2023 resulted in the decimation of all corals at the transplant sites. (Ref. 1 -5)

For thousands of years the Rio Salado, also known as the Salt River, and its larger mainstem, the Gila River, served as an important perennial source of life and growth for indigenous people residing in central Arizona, including the Akimel and Piipaash (3). Today, the Salt River is an ephemeral river corridor connecting diverse urban communities across an expansive and growing Maricopa County (3). While the river is now typically defined by intermittent flow as a function of water conservation and distribution in an arid urban climate, it also has powerful flows during the Arizona monsoon season providing a diverse and unique ecosystem for the region (3). To foster the health of the River, a regional multi-decade project was initiated in 2018 called Rio Reimagined, which includes six cities and two tribal communities (1). Rio Reimagined is a planning initiative in a very early concept stage, centered around the mission to support and enhance this treasured river corridor (3). The goals of Rio Reimagined consist of connecting communities, Equitable & Sustainable Development, and Restoring and Revitalizing Healthy Rivers (3). As part of the Rio Reimagined, the City of Phoenix founded a collaborative project called Rio PHX that will help promote a 20-mile Rio Salado (Salt River) corridor as a local and regional destination that attracts positive investment for the benefit of existing/future businesses, residents, and tourists (1). The final aim with this project is to improve health outcomes for existing and future residents by address outstanding needs in the area and create opportunities for housing, employment, recreation, art, and ecological restoration (1). From May 2024 to May 2025 Rio PHX will engage in creating a community profile, an existing conditions assessment, community engagement & visioning, developing implementation strategies and drafting the master plan (1). Public hearings and final plan adoption are set to take place in fall 2025 (1).

Booterstown Marsh, the only remaining saltmarsh on the south shore of Dublin Bay, plays a crucial role in the Dublin Bay Protection Plan. As part of South Dublin Bay's protected landscape, this unique 4.3-hectare brackish water marsh provides vital environmental and educational value within an urban setting. It supports three key habitats, ranging from freshwater to saltwater, creating essential feeding and roosting grounds for an array of migratory birds. The marsh attracts numerous bird species, including Moorhen, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Teal, Snipe, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin, and Brent Geese, establishing it as the only bird sanctuary in South Dublin Bay.
Booterstown Marsh’s ecological significance is underscored by its inclusion in the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan 2021-2025: Nature Recovery, Restoration & Reconnection. Managed by the Biodiversity Section of the council, this initiative focuses on protecting and enhancing Booterstown Marsh as part of a broader effort to restore natural habitats across the area. The council’s project addresses key factors in biodiversity loss—such as land use pressures, climate change, and invasive species—by implementing an annual monitoring program to prevent deterioration of critical EU Annex habitats and species.
An Taisce, a local NGO has managed the marsh reserve since the 1970s, dedicating efforts to conservation and public education. This habitat, along with other local ecosystems like the wetlands at Ballycorus and woodlands at Loughlinstown, serves as an essential natural defense against climate change, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helping stabilize local landscapes by slowing floodwaters in catchment areas.(1-6)

The Fazenda Futuro project was created in 2010 by the State Secretariat of Justice of Rondônia, with the aim of reintegrating people deprived of their liberty through agricultural work and providing training to enable them to develop skills for entry into the labor market once they have served their sentence (2). Located on 309 hectares donated by the Union, near the Ênio Pinheiro Agricultural Penal Colony in Porto Velho, the project offers participants training in agriculture and practical experience in the cultivation of various food species (4).
Since its inception, the project has worked with 81 people, offering them opportunities for income generation and sentence reduction (4). The farm's products have been distributed among public institutions, social entities and the participants themselves (3, 4). Although initially focused on donations, the project is exploring partnerships with the Community Council to market its products and generate income for future investments (3), as well as starting to generate products such as sweets and jams that can be marketed (3).
Through work in the garden, participants and their families receive compensation through the Sejus prison fund and benefit from sentence reduction through labor relief, as stipulated by the Penal Enforcement Law. This provides them with practical agricultural experience, which enhances their employability (3, 5).

The Far West Detroit neighborhood faces significant challenges with its aging infrastructure. The neighborhood’s stormwater and sewer systems are combined into a single system that is only capable of handling a limited volume. During heavy rain events, the system's capacity is exceeded, causing excess stormwater and untreated sewage to overflow into the Rouge River, which negatively impacts the environment (Ref. 1).
Detroit is investing $40 million in a transformative stormwater management system in the Far West neighborhood near Rouge Park. Described by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department as the largest project of its kind, it will redirect 98 million gallons of rainwater and snowmelt into two new detention basins and a renovated sewer system. The new wastewater system is expected to significantly reduce water volumes in Detroit’s combined sewer system during heavy rainfall and to provide flood relief for approximately 1,200 homes that have experienced flooding in recent years. This expansion, informed by community feedback, marks one of the city's most notable investments in green infrastructure to improve its overextended wastewater management system.
The project has been planned through extensive studies and community coordination since 2016, with construction set to occur in three phases, extending through 2026. Crews broke ground on the South Basin, North Basin, and sewer overhaul in July 2022, and progress is reportedly on track. In addition to the basins, the stormwater management initiative includes neighborhood improvements to enhance recreational opportunities for residents and visitors alike. Planned enhancements in Rouge Park will introduce wetland spaces with native flora, creating greener, more inviting areas in the community for residents to enjoy (Ref. 2).

This project aims to increase water retention capacity in the landscape around urban areas and promote biodiversity by restoring wetlands and natural streams in the forested areas on the island of Hisingen in northern Gothenburg. Many wetlands and streams in the area have been drained or otherwise affected by human activity, reducing biodiversity, increasing the risk of floods and droughts and causing greenhouse gas emissions from peatland. The goals of the project are to reduce the risk of floods downstream, reduce the effects of dry periods, increase groundwater infiltration and benefit species living in and around wetlands and streams in the forest [Ref. 1-3]. The Swedish Anglers Association has initiated the project in cooperation with the City of Gothenburg and the environmental engineering company Miljöteknik I Väst AB [Ref 1]. The project's first stage is a continuation of an earlier project to make an inventory of wetlands and their status [Ref 1, 2]. For the second part, 6,9 ha of wetlands and streams on land owned by the city were restored [Ref. 1, 3]. The project will lead to further efforts in wetland restoration around Gothenburg [Ref. 2, 4].

Located in the municipality of Morne Rouge, the Domaine d’Émeraude was once an agricultural site but was transferred to the Martinique Regional Natural Park (PNRM) in the early 2000s. It underwent significant renovations in 2005 to transform it into a sanctuary for Martinican biodiversity, reflecting the need to protect and conserve the island's unique ecosystems. In 2011, it opened its doors to the public, serving as an important educational resource that raises awareness about the island's historical, natural, and cultural heritage (Refs 4, 7, 8).
Today, the site encompasses 25 hectares protected from anthropogenic pressures and is primarily characterized by a humid tropical forest environment, which makes up 80% of the area (Ref 7). It is home to over a hundred native species (Ref 4) and offers nearly 4 kilometers of walking trails accessible to both adults and children, complete with recreational stops and educational amenities.
The Domaine d’Émeraude was designed to enhance the conservation of native species while developing sustainable economic activities that benefit the local community. Moreover, the site emphasizes the well-being that forested areas provide to visitors, highlighting that "the air can be heard, the smells can be savored, and the sounds can be experienced. The freshness of the place is a source of change and relaxation..." (Ref 4).