1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Bilbao
Region
Europe
Short description of the intervention
The company running the Zabalgarbi waste disposal site manages a solid waste–to-energy plant and also houses a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant, a composting plant, a landfill and a leachate treatment plant. During construction of the first plant, Zabalgarbi regenerated and recovered the entire Artigas-Arraiz area covering 108 hectares. The area was degraded by shaft mining activity and an opencast quarry. The project aimed at the reforestation and landslide mitigation of this degraded area. Today the area has been reforested, trails were built and space provided for people to enjoy themselves in gardens, picnic areas and along forest tracks. (Ref 1)
Address

Bilbao
Spain

Location
The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).
Area boundary
POINT (-2.968558 43.25524)
POINT (-2.982002 43.24169)
POINT (-2.964027 43.233018)
POINT (-2.953964 43.244585)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
Ref. 1
Total area
1080000.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Previous derelict area
Website of the intervention
http://www.zabalgarbi.com/en/about-us/zabalgarbi-and-its-environment/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2006
End date of the intervention
2008
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Goals of the intervention
Recover and reforest an area of 108 ha and plant more than 41.000 trees (Ref 1, 2). Other aims of the project included:
1. Restoring and preserving endangered species
2. Preventing and treating soil erosion while reinstalling watersheds
3. Improving the air quality of the region
4. Lowering surface temperature
(Ref 1,2)
Quantitative targets
1. Recover and reforest an area of 108 ha (Ref 1)
2. Planting more than 41.000 trees (Ref 2)
Monitoring indicators defined
Area size needed to be recovered (Ref 1) ; Number of trees (Ref 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Conversion of former industrial areas
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce the impacts of climate risks events on urban places and communities
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Ecosystem-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore endangered species
Implementation activities
The city council supported the reforestation of the slopes at whose feet the city lies. Since 2007 more than 41,000 trees have been planted. The city made sure that the varieties of species were also mixed and ready to withstand a changing climate. (Ref 2)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Ecological restoration of ecosystems
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Large urban parks or forests
Green corridors and green belts
Please specify "other derelict areas"
Former waste disposal site
Please specify "other Climate change adaptation activity"
Planting variety of trees species to withstand changing climate (Ref 2)
Vegetation Type
Trees
Please specify how many trees were planted
41 000 (Ref 2)
Please specify other amenities offered by the NBS
Public parking, recreational area, picnic sites (Ref 1)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Other
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Recreation
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Citizens or community groups
Please specify other local relevant strategy
Waste management plan (Ref 3)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Zabalgarbi company: regenerated and recovered the Artigas-Arraiz area during construction of the first plant (Ref 1)
City Council: supporting reforestation measures (Ref 2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Land owners
Private sector or company
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
This NBS refers to Ley 2/2006, de 30 de junio, de Suelo y Urbanismo (Law no.2/2006 in regards to Soil and Urbanism) in which the Basque Government has formulated and implemented its own policy on urban planning, based on and in accordance with the general legislation on land management and urban planning. (Ref 3)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
This NBS is part of the Arraiz-Artigas Plan (Plan Especial AOR “Arraiz-Artigas” ) which was designed in 2008 when the plant of Zabalgarbi was erected and emphasized on the mediation between environment and the plant, per se (Ref 3)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Spatial planning law
Environmental regulation
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify the general plan with GI/NBS section
This NBS is in connection to the "Plan Integral de Gestión de Residuos Urbanos de Bizkaia 2005-2016”, a plan for sustainable management of urban waste. The aim of this plan is to ensure that the management of urban waste provides citizens with a quality service, with a cost that is as homogeneous and adjusted as possible throughout the Historic Territory of the Basque region and with the highest levels of environmental protection, Compliance with the requirements of the current regulations and the principles of sustainable development. (Ref 3)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
General municipal plan
Other
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
This NBS is included as a best practice in the RESIN program (Ref 4) RESIN is an interdisciplinary, practice-based research project investigating climate resilience in European cities. Through co-creation and knowledge brokerage between cities and researchers, the project is working on developing practical and applicable tools to support cities in designing and implementing climate adaptation strategies for their local contexts (Ref 2)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
Unknown
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Risk reduction model
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Unknown
Please specify technological innovation
Afforestation was the solution chosen to deal with a derelict area that was previously belonging to a mine (3)
Novelty level of the innovation
Unknown
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Improved soil quality
Water management and blue areas
Improved stormwater management
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Restoration of derelict areas
Description of environmental benefits
Expected Impacts:
Environmental Quality/ Climate Change:
- Forests maintain the water cycle of the area by absorbing moisture through the leaves and roots. They are a natural storage system of rainwater and slows down the aridity of the atmosphere. Trees prevent freshwater lakes from losing moisture and drying up. (Ref 1,2)
- Allowed the soil to rejuvenate itself (Ref 1)
- Increased air quality of the region (Ref 1)

Achieved:
Green Space Creation/ Connection:
- Since 2007, more than 41 000 trees have been planted (Ref 2)
- Regeneration and recovery of 108 ha (1 080 000 m2) (Ref 1)
- Added this area to Bilbao's Green Belt (green corridor that surrounds the city) (Ref 1,2)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Description of social and cultural benefits
Achieved Impacts:
Increased access to a green space for the Bilbao's inhabitants (Ref 2)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Area size needed to be recovered (Ref 1) ;
Number of trees (Ref 2)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Environmental quality
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Environmental justice: The implementation of the NBS project resulted in ...
Improved access to green and/or blue spaces
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of 6 October 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref 1. Zabalgarbi and its environment
Ref 2. RESIN City Assessment Report, Bilbao
Ref 3. Ecología y capitalism
List of references
1. Zabalgarbi S.A. (n.d.). Zabalgarbi and its environment. Available at: http://www.zabalgarbi.com/en/about-us/zabalgarbi-and-its-environment/ [Accessed: 6 October 2020].
2. RESIN. (n.d.). City Assessment Report, Bilbao. Available at: http://www.resin-cities.eu/cities/tier1/bilbao/ [Accessed: 6 October 2020].
3. Ramirez, S. (2008). Ecología y capitalism. Rebelion. Available at: http://www.rebelion.org/noticia.php?id=71568 [Accessed: 6 October 2020].
4. Arraiz Artigas Igorritako Antolamendu Areako Plan Berezia. (2008). Plan Especial del Area de Ordenación Remitida “Arraiz-Artigas” BILBAO. [Not available in 2020].
Comments and notes
Comments
Difficult to find information related to this intervention, especially around finances and actor involvement.
Some of the information in the questionnaire that lists Ref 3 as its reference is not in Ref 3 in 2020. It is possible some of these came from Ref 4, but as that is unavailable in 2020, I was unable to verify.
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/proponen_app_para_construir_planta_incineradora_de_basura.jpg
Public Images
Zabalgarbi-1
Source: Ref. 1
Zabalgarbi-2
Source: Ref. 1
Zabalgarbi-3
Source: Ref. 1