1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Dublin (FUA) Region Europe Short description of the intervention 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). Website of the intervention https://www.biurban.ie/rain-garden-project Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Urban flooding (stormwater) Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Stoneybatter Dublin 7 Ireland 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 (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Google Maps screenshot of the area Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Residential Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2021 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2021 End date of the intervention 2024 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention Main goals of the intervention: To transform urban spaces into green areas (100 rain gardens), therefore enhancing biodiversity, providing habitats for pollinators, and acting as carbon sinks (1,3). To offer residents a connection to nature, promoting well-being and community engagement, participation, and capacity building (1). To address urban water problems in Dublin by collecting rainwater and reducing storm drain overflow, which helps prevent flooding and watercourses pollution. (3) Key Priorities Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation) Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration) Social Justice and community Sustainability challenge(s) addressed Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13) Climate change adaptation Climate change mitigation Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Habitat and biodiversity conservation Water management (SDG 6) Stormwater and rainfall management and storage Improvements to water quality Health and well-being (SDG 3) Creation of opportunities for recreation Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Sense of community and community engagement Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater Climate change mitigation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover) Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention? Genetic-focused Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Protect and enhance urban habitats Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems Create new habitats Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem Means for conservation governance Public engagement Capacity building Mental health and well-being objectives - Create green spaces in otherwise sterile urban environments, increasing levels of well-being; - Provide a connection to nature and horticultural opportunities for participants who live with restricted access to biodiversity (1, 12). Mental health and well-being activities Management of the life of the plants in them (12); Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities The project involves placing these gardens adjacent to downpipes, where they harvest and filter rainwater to manage urban runoff. The gardens are designed with plants that thrive in both dry and damp conditions, making them largely maintenance-free. Overflow pipes are included in the design to handle excess water during heavy rainfall. Additionally, Bí URBAN collaborates with University College Dublin to monitor the effectiveness of these rain gardens. The project is further supported by Dublin City Council, which provides a "How-to Guide for Rainwater Planters" to encourage community participation. As part of the project's ongoing development, Bí URBAN and Workhouse Union are creating a NatureRx publication to share insights and guidance from the pilot, making the process accessible to other communities (1). Type of NBS project Creation of semi-natural blue areas Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens) Knowledge creation and awareness raising Educational and awareness raising programs Strategy, plan or policy development Implementation of city-wide or neighborhood initiatives focused on biodiverity protection (e.g. bee-friendly initiatives, butterfly protection, "Spring cleaning") Creation of city-wide or neighborhood green and blue infrastrcuture protection or enhancement strategies/plans 3. NBS domains, ES and scale NBS domain and interventions Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented Green areas for water management Rain gardens Amenities offered by the NBS Educational and research amenities (nature protection centre, monitoring stations) Design elements for well-being Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation) Auditory elements (e.g., birdsong, water features, quiet areas, rustling leaves) Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Provisioning services Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes) Regulating services Flood regulation Water purification / filtration Pollination Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Recreation Social and community interactions Scale Spatial scale Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area There is no information on the demographic aspects of the neighborhood except source number 5 mentions that Stoneybatter has high rent prices. (5) Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Non-government actors Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches Private sector/Corporate/Business Researchers, university Citizens or community groups Social enterprise Primary Beneficiaries Local government/Municipality Non-government organisation/Civil Society Private sector/Corporate/Company Researchers/University Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries This project brings together key stakeholders, each driven by a distinct yet complementary mission, to address climate and water-related challenges for the benefit of urban communities. Bonneville Environmental Foundation focuses on co-creating entrepreneurial solutions to tackle climate challenges, particularly through restoring freshwater ecosystems (16). Dublin City Council (DCC), through its Water Framework Directive (WFD) Office, is committed to achieving the objectives of the WFD by improving water quality and engaging local populations in sustainable practices (6). LAWPRO is motivated by its mission to enhance water quality through catchment science and community engagement. Together, these stakeholders ensure that urban residents, especially those in vulnerable areas, are the primary beneficiaries of the project (17). Wavin Ireland is driven by the desire to address climate change impacts in urban centres, fully supporting initiatives like Bí Urban that aim to make cities more sustainable and better places to live (15). At the same time, the project is being executed in collaboration with the Civil Engineering Department at University College Dublin (UCD), where the scientists are examining data from measuring planters' water inflow and outflow (1, 3). Marginalized groups Vulnerable populations in disaster-prone areas Measures for inclusion of marginalised groups The project provides a "How-to Guide for Rainwater Planters" to encourage community participation. (1) Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Native plant vegetation Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Co-governance with government and non-government actors Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The founder of this project, Bi URBAN social enterprise, is responsible for implementing rain gardens in Stoneybatter (3). The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (nonprofit), DCC, and LAWPRO further finance this project. It is being executed in collaboration with the Civil Engineering Department at University College Dublin (UCD) and has been supported by two private companies, Wavin Ireland and Version 1. Specifically, Wavin Ireland provides the pipes needed for these rain gardens to function (11). Meanwhile, the scientists at UCD are examining data from measuring planters' water inflow and outflow (3). Currently, Bi URBAN has moved on to the review phase of the project in collaboration with Workhouse Union (1). The community is responsible for the maintenance of gardens (13). Key actors - initiating organization Social enterprise Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Local government/municipality Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Researchers/university Private sector/corporate actor/company Stages of citizen and community engagement On-the-ground implementation Reporting and dissemination of project results Level of citizen and community engagement Moderate Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings Establishment of mentorship programs or partnerships with local institutions (e.g. schools, kinder gardens, hospitals, nursing homes) Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping) Dissemination of information and education Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Co-management/Joint management Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners No information found Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Yes Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy" Water Framework Directive (6); NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan National Tree Week (14, p.25) belongs to Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 (14, p.93) NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" Dublin City Draft Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) Guidelines (14, p.58); Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan 2021-2025 (14, p. 8) National Tree Week (14, p.25) as part of the Dublin City Development Plan 2016-2022 (14, p.93) Relevant strategy or plan City specific climate change policy or plan Biodiversity strategy or plan Water regulation strategy Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Environmental regulation Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Capacity-building projects City network or regional partnerships focused on climate change, sustainability, GI or NBS in the city NBS research project (e.g., H2020, Urban Living Labs, national research projects) Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city) Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. Water Framework Directive (6) Capacity building: The project is further supported by Dublin City Council, which provides a "How-to Guide for Rainwater Planters" to encourage community participation. (1) Funding: The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (nonprofit), DCC (Dublin City Council), and LAWPRO further finance this project. (1) Governace and decison-making instruments Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans) Public - community agreement (e.g. citizen science programs; citizen assemblies) Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs) Arrangements for governance cooperation Information-sharing platforms or networks (e.g. websites for sharing best practices, data or resources pertinent to the project) Capacity-building initiatives for governance actors (e.g. training workshops for local government officials/ community leaders) Performance monitoring and evaluation frameworks (e.g. adoption of KPIs, or establishment or monitoring and evaluation processes) Barriers Sarah Cotterill, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at UCD, noted that while rain garden planters offer multiple benefits, a significant challenge has been the lack of analysis on their impact on the drainage network. The project seeks to address this by integrating sensors into the planters to measure the flow in and out, thereby quantifying the impact on the volume and flow rate reduction into the drainage network (3). Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Unknown What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Corporate investment Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO) Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities) Donations Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services) Citizens (e.g. volunteering) Private sector (businesses, financial institution) Other Please specify other source of non-financial contribution University College Dublin (1) Type of non-financial contribution Provision of land Provision of labour Provision of expertise Co-finance for NBS Yes Co-governance arrangement An enterprise Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Risk reduction model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Enhanced carbon sequestration Expected enhanced carbon sequestration Water management and blue areas Improved stormwater management Expected improved stormwater management Green space and habitat Reduced biodiversity loss Expected reduced biodiversity loss Enhanced support of pollination Expected enhanced support of pollination Description of environmental benefits -Enhanced carbon sequestration: “Act as a carbon sink” (Ref. 1). -Improved stormwater management: “Diminish the overflow into storm drains that leads to the pollution of our water-courses” (Ref. 1). -Reduced biodiversity loss: “Encourages wildlife, all the bees and hoverflies” (Ref. 3). -Enhanced support of pollination: “Increase habitat for urban pollinators and wildlife” (Ref. 1). Economic impacts Unknown Social and cultural impacts Cultural heritage and sense of place Improvement in people’s connection to nature Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature Education Increased support for education and scientific research Achieved increased support for education and scientific research Description of social and cultural benefits -Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "Brings back the joy and connection to nature into spaces that tend to be quite grey and cramped" (Ref. 12). Achieved increased support for education and scientific research: The project is further supported by Dublin City Council, which provides a "How-to Guide for Rainwater Planters" to encourage community participation. (1) Evidence for use of assessment Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process Yes Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts Researchers/university Presence of indicators used in reporting Yes Type of indicators Output indicators Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports No evidence in public records Availability of a web-based monitoring tool No evidence in public records Name of any specific impact assessment tools Unknown Use of GIS in mapping impacts No evidence in public records Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.) Community forums for information sharing and encouraging the participation of marginalized groups Justice Community satisfaction Positive: The majority of feedback and reports indicate high levels of satisfaction and appreciation for the NBS project within the community. Description of locals satisfaction with the project Liz McLaren, who lives in Stoneybatter, had a planter installed outside her house and says that it attracts wildlife: "It really encourages wildlife, all the bees and hoverflies - everything's coming up. Even this morning I saw lots of action with lots of insects there. So, it's great to see and I feel like I’m doing my bit." (Ref. 3) Trade-offs & Negative impacts Unknown Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement No initiatives or policies were implemented High-quality & Transformative NBS Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community) No Goal setting and impacts delivery In the planning phase, the project aimed to address issues in all 3 key priority areas, but impacts were not delivered in all three key areas. Reaching original project goals Most of the project goals were achieved Please specify the achievements of the project goals Climate action and biodiversity: -Enhanced carbon sequestration: “Act as a carbon sink” (Ref. 1). -Improved stormwater management: “Diminish the overflow into storm drains that leads to the pollution of our water-courses” (Ref. 1). -Reduced biodiversity loss: “Encourages wildlife, all the bees and hoverflies” (Ref. 3). -Enhanced support of pollination: “Increase habitat for urban pollinators and wildlife” (Ref. 1). Social Justice and community: -Improvement in people’s connection to nature: "Brings back the joy and connection to nature into spaces that tend to be quite grey and cramped" (Ref. 12). Achieved increased support for education and scientific research: The project is further supported by Dublin City Council, which provides a "How-to Guide for Rainwater Planters" to encourage community participation. (1) Long-term perspective Unknown: No information about the project's long-term sustainability. Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) Magnitude of change Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation Application of lessons learned The NBS has been shared or used as a good practice to trigger transformative change Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. Bí URBAN (n.d.). Introducing the Naturerx rain garden PROJECT. Bí URBAN, Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Bí URBAN (n.d.). Bí URBAN IS A NATURE-BASED SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN THE HEART OF STONEYBATTER. Bí URBAN, Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. O'Flynn, M. (2022). Rain garden roll-out expands in Dublin's inner city. RTÉ, Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. National Heritage Week (n.d.). BUILDING YOUR OWN NATURE BASED SOLUTION - What do you need to know?. National Heritage Week, Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Kenny, E. (2022). Is Stoneybatter the coolest neighbourhood in Ireland?. District Magazine, Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Stack, J., Gannon, A., & Hurson, S. (2021). A how-to-guide for Rainwater Planters. Dublin City Council , Accessed on August 9, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Bí URBAN (2022). NatureRx Rain Garden. Bí URBAN, Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. Bí URBAN (2021). Bí URBAN Today! DUBLIN CLIMATE ACTION WEEK. Bí URBAN, Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 9. Bí URBAN (2023). SPRING HAS ARRIVED on KIRWAN STREET. Bí URBAN, Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 10. Bí URBAN (2023). NatureRx Rain Garden Research. Bí URBAN, Accessed on August 10, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 11. Barrett, R. (2022). Harvesting rainfall thanks to Wavin. Dublin Gazette, Accessed on August 11, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 12. Bell, M. (2021). Rain boxes making a splash in Stoneybatter. The Liberty, Accessed on August 12, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 13. Corrigan, D. (2021). To Keep Storms from Overwhelming City’s Sewerage System, Pilot Project Asks Dubliners to Install “Rain Gardens”. Dublin Inquirer, Accessed on August 12, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 14. Dublin CIty Council (2021). Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan 2021-2025. Dublin CIty Council, Accessed on August 12, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 15. Wavin (2022). Wavin Ireland joins forces with Urban Rain Garden Pilot Project. Wavin, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 16. Bonneville Environmental Foundation (n.d.). Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 17. Local Authority Waters Programme (n.d.). Local Authority Waters Programme. Local Authority Waters Programme, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Rain Garden in Dublin Ref. 3 Image Rain Garden in Dublin Ref. 10
