Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is one of 28 National Estuary Programs established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, focused on safeguarding and restoring the water quality and ecological health of nationally significant estuaries (Ref 2). One of the four main areas of work of the project (Ref 2) is focused on Ecosystem Restoration and Protection (ERP), aiming at restoring and protecting ecosystem function and services (Ref 4). One of the projects implemented in 2023-2024 in the ERP category is the Deer River Coastal Marsh Stabilization and Restoration project, aiming at restoring and protecting the saltwater marshes of the area (Ref 8).
The issues faced in the Deer River Shoreline are shoreline recession, marsh deterioration, and loss of natural function from erosion, apparently caused by heavy storms, tidal impacts, and wakes from cargo ships entering or exiting the Theodore Ship Channel (Ref 8). Indeed, the saltwater marshes of this area have started to erode at a rapid rate, up to 12 feet per year (Ref 7).
The project aims to enhance the natural function of ecosystem services to improve the area's resilience. It will restore the eroded marsh by creating offshore structures to protect the shoreline and attenuate the waves. The project also aims to restore the water quality of the Deer River by dredging it out, thus improving the water flow. The material dredged out will be used to nourish the marsh (Ref 9).

The NatureRx Rain Garden Pilot is a community-driven initiative aimed at addressing urban runoff and its associated challenges, implemented by Bí URBAN, a community hub and social enterprise in Dublin focused on urban regeneration. The pilot project developed in Stoneybatter, Dublin involves diverting rainwater from residential rooftops into specially designed rain gardens (1). The area is used as the first trial area by installing around 100 rain gardens (3, 11). Built to fit neatly into available spaces, these self-sustaining planters will filter rainwater through the garden, with overflow pipes in place to prevent flooding during heavy downpours (1).
It is expected that these gardens will transform sterile urban spaces into green areas, enhancing biodiversity, providing habitats for pollinators, and acting as carbon sinks (1,3).

The Meama Coffee Factory incorporates ecological elements and functionality with architectural design to create a visually striking building. By doing so, the developers respond to requirements set by the city of Tbilisi for a factory that blends into the peri-urban landscape while avoiding the typical industrial appearance. This requirement corresponds to the architect's values of creating a sustainable and durable structure, implemented through multiple measures (Ref. 1,2). Firstly, a 3,680 square meter green roof has been installed, fully covered with local wild grasses and plants (Ref. 1). This green roof serves multiple purposes: it acts as a thermal barrier, reducing the need for additional roof insulation, mitigates noise pollution from the nearby airport and serves as a recreational and meeting area for visitors and employees (Ref. 1,2,3,4). The factory area also features a pine forest to its backside as well as multiple inside atriums covered in greenery (Ref. 2,3).
Lastly, building materials and installation methods have been selected to ensure the durability of the project, such as roofing membranes that withstand root penetration as well as reinforced concrete structures that are waterproofed and protected against corrosion (Ref. 4&5)

Birmingham faces several immediate risks due to climate change, including heatwaves, water shortages from droughts, floods, and extreme weather (Ref 11). To address these challenges, Birmingham City Council has set a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2027. As part of this effort, the new Birmingham Library project, initiated by the council, includes a rooftop garden designed to contribute to this target (Ref 3). The library was designed by the Dutch firm Mecanoo Architecten, with a design process spanning from 2008 to 2012 (Ref 5). The two outdoor rooftop gardens, located on levels 3 and 7, were completed in 2013 (Ref 1). These gardens provide green spaces in the city center, enhance water management through rainwater harvesting, serve as educational facilities for sustainable food innovation, and create natural habitats for wildlife (Ref 1, 3, 4, 6). Their contributions helped the library achieve a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating and have garnered various awards (Ref 1, 10). The new library aligns with Birmingham City Council's Big City Plan to regenerate the city center, with the green roof gardens playing a key role (Ref 4).

In January 2024, the municipality of Cagliari inaugurated three new green areas in the city, adding five and a half hectares of green spaces for residents to enjoy. These areas are located between Keplero, Avicenna, and Parigi streets, not far from the city center (Refs. 1 & 2).
The primary goal of this initiative is to mitigate the effects of climate change, particularly rising temperatures. The green areas are designed to reduce the city's heat island effect and contribute to carbon sequestration. The planting of new trees will also help maintain ecosystems and improve environmental conditions in targeted areas . Special attention was given to soil quality, with most projects incorporating walkways equipped with drainage systems (Refs. 1, 2, & 4). Additionally, the new infrastructure aims to foster social engagement and attract more citizens, who will benefit from these improvements. (Refs. 1 & 2).
This initiative is also expected to boost the local economy by encouraging the development of small complementary services (Ref. 3). It is part of a larger municipal project co-funded by the EU.

This project aimed to create an urban forest that will grow within Dublin’s Darndale Park, which is popular among students and sports clubs. The objective is to offer the community a green area where they can gather, appreciate nature, and enhance their knowledge about it. The new forest will act as a windbreak for the nearby fishing pond and aims to address challenges related to heatwaves that endanger the lives of young and elderly people. To foster a sense of inclusion and unity, the forest is designed in a doughnut shape, consisting of 3,000 native species like oaks, birch, willow, and hazel, with the trees forming the outer ring (1, 2). This urban forestation initiative is a component of the Uforest project, which is funded by the European Commission and supported by Etifor (environmental consulting company established within the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry of the University of Padua) and Ersaf (an instrumental body of the Lombardy Region) . The Uforest project seeks to enhance Europe's innovation capacity by fostering collaboration among universities, cities, and businesses to develop a novel approach to urban forestry (1).

Trade winds from the east over the Bay of Fort-de-France increase agitation at the "Étang Z’Abricots" marina, reducing user comfort and raising maintenance costs for port equipment and vessels. Climate change worsen these problems, increasing the risks of coastline erosion, extreme weather events, and rising sea levels, which may diminish the protective effect of "Pointe des Sables," leaving the marina more exposed to the winds (Ref 1; 2).

The Z’AB project aims to address these challenges by creating a protective barrier for the port by using mangroves. This involves installing lightweight, reversible devices to elevate the sea floor and accumulate sediments, encouraging the natural colonization of mangroves south of Pointe des Sables. Natural colonization refers to the growth of mangroves through processes like seed dispersal and sediment buildup. Once established, the mangrove will act as a natural buffer, protecting the marina from rough seas and adapting to rising sea levels. The project also includes educational efforts to raise awareness about the importance of mangroves for the region’s environmental issues and biodiversity (Ref 1).

Although the Z’AB project has been in planning since 2018, in 2021, a separate project to extend the marina, costing 7 million euros, was approved by the water park authorities (Ref 5). The extension will add 77 new vessel spaces (Ref 7), but it threatens portions of the mangrove and a strictly protected coral species, Oculina Diffusa, found in the area (Ref 6, p.17). While the marina extension project aims to offset the loss of coral and mangrove with various solutions, "Projet Z'AB" is not explicitly mentioned as a compensation mechanism (Ref 6, p.24). However, stakeholders involved in Projet Z'AB are also participating in the development of the marina extension (Ref 6). It remains unclear to what extent Projet Z'AB will be used to mitigate the environmental impact of the extension.

The Sacred Heart Church, a historical landmark in Detroit's Eastern Market since 1875, faced persistent stormwater and surface flooding issues. The church's parking lot, once marked by cracked concrete and stagnant water, has been transformed through an innovative Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) retrofit. GSI leverages natural processes to manage stormwater, using plants to absorb, retain, and slow runoff. This retrofit, a collaboration between The Nature Conservancy and the parish, stands as one of Detroit's largest GSI projects at a faith-based institution. By introducing bioretention gardens filled with native plants, the project manages runoff from 1.4 acres of impervious surfaces and diverts 1.5 million gallons of water annually from the sewer system. This green space not only mitigates flooding and reduces combined sewer overflows (CSOs) but also provides a cooling effect, enhances community recreation, and significantly cuts the parish's drainage charges by 49%.(Ref.1,2,3)

Iasi has limited access to green-blue open spaces and fails to meet national and European standards for per capita green space and proximity to larger green areas. Additionally, the city experiences significant fragmentation in its green spaces. To address these issues, the municipality of Iasi launched a project in 2020 to restore a vacant and degraded area, transforming it into a park. Funded by European resources, the project aims to rehabilitate the neglected land by constructing a green park and introducing local vegetation. The primary goal is to provide a leisure and relaxation space for local citizens and visitors while improving the quality of the surrounding air by converting much of the terrain into green space. The vacant land is situated in the historic Ticau neighborhood, which has been affected by municipal neglect, characterized by poor infrastructure and limited connectivity to the city's main areas. Furthermore, the project aims to reduce the heat island effect by creating green oases in a city marked by many “hard surfaces,” such as paved areas, which contribute to this phenomenon expected to intensify in the coming years. Originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2022, the project has been delayed due to a lack of funds and is now expected to be finished by the end of 2024 (Refs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11).

Lima Verde is one of the pillars of the metropolitan mayor's government plan and is supported by SERPAR. It aims to reforest hillsides, hills, and central berms of metropolitan and local roads, as well as public recreational spaces, to create urban lungs that generate oxygen and scenic beauty for the benefit of the health of all residents (Ref 1, 3). Its goal is to plant one million trees in four years (2022 - 2026) in different parts of North, East and South Lima (Ref 3, 5, 6). This project is being carried out to respond to the increasing problem of urban heat islands that are being generated, especially in the most vulnerable districts where there is no shade due to a shortage of trees (Ref 1, 4). It is therefore focused on areas where the environmental quality is low, where the pollution is high and where there is more danger of higher temperatures (Ref 1, 7).
This programme aims to include youth volunteers, district municipalities, educational institutions, grassroots social organisations, neighbourhood leaders, residents and other entities that favour environmental conservation (Ref 1, 2, 3, 5).