Public local authority budget

Hatirjheel area development project is a wetland restoration project that explores the possibility of reintroducing water edge elements into the city of Dhaka. The project includes both engineered infrastructure and NbS. The restored jheel (wetland) and Begunbari khal have improved storm-water management of Dhaka and made aquatic biodiversity better. It also increased green and open space in the busy capital. The intended objective of the project was to create a bridge between the densely developed old part of the city on the south and the new organised north part of the city. Spreading over 311 acres, this project has endeavoured towards improving connectivity between major urban corridors as well as acting as a retention pond to mitigate the flash flood-prone densely populated part of the area. [1,2]

The Krubong landfill site has been proposed to undergo a "thorough and safe environmental rehabilitation program[me]" so that the site can be developed as a public park (Ref. 1). Following completion of a feasibility study, it is envisaged that significant rehabilitation work to address environmental degradation and restoration of natural habitats will be required, after which the site will be developed into a public park (Ref. 1). The programme remains in its planning stage, but seeks to address Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) 11.6 and 15.1 through protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of ecosystems and reversing land degradation and/or biodiversity loss; and reducing the environmental impact of cities by paying special attention to waste management and providing access to safe, open public spaces (Ref. 1). At a more local level, the programme intends to complement additional programmes laid out in Melaka's Resilience strategy document, including promoting both cycling and pedestrian networks and reshaping public spaces in the city (Ref. 1).

The Wuqing District of Tianjin is a rapidly developing suburban district, northwest of the city core, containing 4 larger 5 smaller rivers, 5 water reservoirs, Wetland area that partially protected by the DaHuangPu Nature Reserve, the Jinbei Forest Park, several public parks, greenery near buildings, green roofs and vegetation along roads. A spike in population growth going from 130.000 in 2000 to 1.2 million in 2018 brought the need for wide urban development where the district focused on implementing blue and green infrastructures (1). "The urbanized area of the district is reported to meet the requirements of the national ‘Garden City’ standard with over 36% green coverage, currently aiming to achieve 45% on the long run, and was selected as a pilot national ecological demonstration area for green urban development in 2014. Since 2014, over 500 million EUR was invested into blue and green infrastructure projects (1 p26). The three flagship projects evaluated here are 1) the South Lake (Nanhu) Area that combines business, recreational, residential, and ecological development around in a waterside area, 2) the North Canal Suburban Park which is a recreational, entertainment and wetland area on 2.53 km2 where over 72.000 trees were planted in recent years, 3) and the 400 meter wide, multi-functional green corridor running along the Cuiheng Road (1).

Xalapa is located beneath towering volcanic peaks in the Sierra Madre Oriental, and the city is crossed by at least five minor streams, seven rivers, and it has four man-made lakes and one lagoon in its territory. Its natural ecosystem represents “1% of the national forest area and hosts more than 12% of forest biodiversity” [1]. However, unplanned expansion has resulted in deforestation and the inadequate management of its waterways. In addition, forests, riparian corridors and wetlands have been cleared for agriculture and urban infrastructure. These disruptions to the environment have increased the frequency and intensity of flooding in the city [2]. To meet the environmental challenges, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources-SEMARNAT launched an initiative as part of UNEP's multi-city CityAdapt Project, backed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) [3]. The project focuses on four interventions to improve resilience to climate change through NbS: 1) riparian restoration along the Papas urban river; 2) ecological restoration of the Estropajo Hill; 3) installation of rainwater systems within the most vulnerable areas in Xalapa; and 4) implementation of an artificial wetland at schools [2,4].

A greening project in Laval aimed to replace impermeable surfaces such as asphalt with vegetation. This process would allow water to infiltrate the soil on a surface area of 3000 square meters and plant 7200 plants on land located near or inside urban heat island zones of the city (Ref. 1,2,3,7). The project takes an integrated approach to mitigate the impact of urban heat islands, which make up 12-13% of the territory in Laval (Ref. 1,7). Particular focus of this project is placed on planting on sites of vulnerable communities (Ref. 1,3).

The Ecological Wetland Park is a 630,000 m2 artificial wetland located in a high tech industrial pioneer zone, adjacent to the Tianjin Harbor. The project was initiated by an agency of the local government and constructed with financial support from the Asian Development Bank (1). The area of the park used to be "a natural coastal salt marsh, which become reclaimed land in the early 2000s. The resulting saline-alkaline area had minimal ecosystem value and use value (as it was not considered to be suitable for agricultural activities either)" (1 p20). The wetland park's objective is threefold: 1) to provide a natural wastewater treatment plant for the industrial area to decrease pollutant discharge into the Bohai Bay and improve water quality; 2) to rehabilitating and restoring the once thriving biodiversity in the Harbor Area and the Hai river's estuary 3) to create a place for recreation and leisure for residents. (1)

Since 2008, the City of Portland, Oregon has used various policies and programming to encourage the use of eco-roofs (vegetated roofs) throughout the city to address stormwater management (Ref. 2,3,4). In addition to stormwater management, eco-roofs have the benefits of: saving energy, reducing pollution and erosion in waterways, preserving fish habitats, creating new habitats for birds and insects, absorbing carbon dioxide, cooling urban heat islands, filtering air pollutants, and providing urban green space (Ref. 1,5). From 2008 to 2012, the City of Portland used the Ecoroof Incentive program to encourage property owners and developers to construct ecoroofs (Ref. 4,5,12). In 2018, the City of Portland adopted a mandate for ecoroofs in new buildings (Ref. 2,3,12). These policies and programs led to a growing interest in the use of ecoroofs, and resulted in the construction of over 130 ecoroofs (Ref. 3,4,11).

The Cheonggyecheon Stream Restoration Project saw the dismantling and removal of an elevated freeway and the uncovering of a 5.84km section of the Cheonggyecheon historic stream in the centre of Seoul, South Korea (Ref. 2). One of the world’s largest and most densely populated cities, the revitalisation of the Cheonggyecheon Stream has provided Seoul with an ecologically sensitive green pedestrian corridor in an area that was previously recognised as being congested, overpopulated and polluted (Ref. 4). The restoration has provided environmental, social and economic benefits within its immediate proximity (Ref. 2). In addition to becoming a "vehicle for revitalisation, urban renewal and economic development", it has "also signified a shift in Korean planning priorities", with both city authorities and residents now placing an emphasis "on health, sustainability and social responsibility" (Ref. 4). It has further "become a template for planning intention and action across South Korea" (Ref. 4).

The Million Trees project was a programme launched by Auckland Mayor Phil Goff in 2017 to plant a million predominantly native trees and shrubs over a period of three years (Ref. 1,2,3,4). It aimed to make Auckland a greener, more beautiful place while creating carbon sinks, protecting the city’s waterways and improving the city’s living environment (Ref. 2,4). The programme engaged a variety of actors in the planting activities, including local boards, iwi, schools, service and social sector groups, private entities, the council group, the New Zealand Transport Association (Ref. 1). Particularly notable partnerships included those with the Department of Corrections and the Trees that Count Trust (Ref. 2,4,6).
The initial goal was met in 2019, and the project has been renewed for 2019-2022 (Ref. 1,7).

The Green Urban Infrastructure in the municipality of Beira project aims to increase Beira’s resilience to climate change and flooding (Ref. 2). It is a two-part project that consists of rehabilitating the Chiveve River and constructing a public park along the river (Ref. 1). The river rehabilitation was completed at the end of 2016 and restored the natural flow of the river, enabling better flood control (Ref. 5,6). The public park was completed at the end of 2020 and serves as a recreation, catchment and overflow area through three basins of the river (Ref. 1,2).