1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Mobile (FUA)
Region
Northern America
Short description of the intervention
The City of Mobile has developed and implemented a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) as required by the regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (Ref 1). Flooding is a significant issue in Mobile, occurring frequently throughout the town (Ref 3). The SWMP aims to protect water quality and prevent harmful pollutants in stormwater runoff from entering the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) area (Ref 1). Stormwater runoff refers to rainfall that does not seep into the ground but instead flows over yards, streets, parking lots, and buildings, eventually entering the storm sewer system, which directs it into creeks, rivers, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico (Ref 1). Stormwater can collect pollutants such as trash, debris, sediment, heavy metals, oils, and hazardous household materials. Additionally, development increases impervious surfaces, leading to more stormwater runoff (Ref 2).
Website of the intervention
https://www.stormwatermobile.org/uploads/images/2023-01-24%20FINAL%20Mobile%20S…
Principal problems
Climate-Related Hazards
Urban flooding (stormwater)
Extreme weather events (e.g. storms, hurricanes)
Environmental Degradation
Poor water quality
Physical water retention and availability
Land use and Socio-economic change
Rapid urbanization
Implementation area characterization
Climate
Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter)
Ecosystem
Fresh water wetlands
Rivers/streams
Urban or built environment
Address

Mobile, 13000
United States

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Area boundary (map-based)
Area description
Urban (main city)
Freshwater landscape (e.g. river, lake)
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Freshwater setting (e.g. river, channel, lake, pond)
Roads / Roadsides
Mixed-use development (combination of residential, commercial, and/or industrial)
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2022
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2023
End date of the intervention
ongoing
Present stage of the intervention
Ongoing
Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. Protect water quality by preventing harmful pollutants from entering the storm sewer system (MS4) (Ref 1).
2. Reduce flooding by effectively managing stormwater runoff (Ref 3).
3. Minimise pollutant discharge into creeks, rivers, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico (Ref 1).
4. Limit pollutants from construction and development activities. (Ref 2)
5. Preserve natural ecosystems, including wetlands, riparian areas, and in-stream habitats. (Ref 2)
6. Reduce the environmental impact of municipal operations, pesticide use, and industrial discharges.(Ref 2)
7. Educate the community on proper stormwater management practices.(Ref 2)
Key Priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Water management (SDG 6)
Flood protection
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Improvements to water quality
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Restore rivers and other fresh water bodies to reduce flood or drought risk
Restore and protect forests to prevent water runoff and assets loss due to flooding
Reducing socio-economic vulnerability to climate impacts (e.g. awareness raising)
Implementation activities and NBS focus
Implementation activities
1. Monitoring stormwater collection system operations (Ref 2, p 41).
2. Developing and implementing the use of stormwater retention/detention basins, infiltration basins/trenches, proprietary structural devices, pervious pavement, grass swales, filter strips, constructed wetlands, rain barrels, rain gardens, litter traps and urban canopies (p 105).
3. Implementation of GIS mapping of catch basins (p 45)
4. Preserving natural systems, including in-stream habitats, riparian areas, wetlands (p 21, 105) and vegetated areas, to increase sediment removal and maximize infiltration (p 93)
5. Providing public facilities and education for proper disposal of household hazardous waste (p 136).
6. Developing a guide for industries to prevent discharges from industrial facilities to the MS4 (p 140).
7. Developing and implementing pollution prevention and good housekeeping practices for municipal operations, such as park maintenance and public transportation (p 120).
8. Promoting effective management and landscaping practices for reducing pollutant discharges from the application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers (p 128).
9. establishing spill prevention and response procedures for accidental or illegal spills (p 114).
10. Establishing a monitoring program to collect data and assess the effectiveness of the SWMP (p 150)
11. Implementing public education activities related to stormwater management, recycling programs, and proper waste management practices to educate the community
Type of NBS project
Maintenance and management of urban nature
Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees
Creation of semi-natural blue areas
Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens)
Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas
Restoration, protecion and sustainable manage floodplains
Restoration of riparian vegetation
Strategy, plan or policy development
Creation of city-wide or neighborhood climate adaptation or mitigation strategies/programs
Development of disaster-risk prevention strategies (e.g.fire management, flood alleviation scheme)
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
Green areas for water management
Rain gardens
Swales and filter strips
Sustainable urban drainage systems
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Design elements for well-being
None of the above
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Flood regulation
Water purification / filtration
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Beneficiaries
Demographics in implementation area
Demographics of the city of Mobile (Ref 4):
- Total population: 187,041
- Median age: 37.3
- Median households income: $50,051
- Average families size: 3.16
- Ethnicity: Black or African American (Non-Hispanic): 52.9%, White (Non-Hispanic): 39.7%, Two+ (Non-Hispanic): 2.18%, Asian (Non-Hispanic): 1.85%, and Two+ (Hispanic): 1.25%
Socio-economic profile of the area
Middle-income
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Riverfront communities
Communities located in floodplains
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Citizens or community groups
Specify primary beneficiaries
Being a city-wide plan, the beneficiaries should be the whole city, the residents, the local businesses, the industries, etc.
Marginalized groups
Unknown
Other beneficiaries
Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification)
City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Government-led
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The project is lead by the city of Mobile (Ref 2)
The target audience is: Residents (Homeowners and renters); Schools; Business (Owners and employees); Engineers; Contractors; and, Developers (Ref 2, p 60)
Key actors - initiating organization
Local government/municipality
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Citizens or community group
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Stages of citizen and community engagement
On-the-ground implementation
Feedback during project implementation (e.g. review sessions)
Level of citizen and community engagement
Limited
Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives
Implementation of educational programs, workshops or trainings
Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)
Dissemination of information and education
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")
Unknown
Land owners
Private sector or company
Public space owned by the city
Real estate developer
Utility company
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Other
Please specify other landowner
The plan covers the whole city, indistinctly public and private spaces.
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
Storm Water Program for Alabama: "The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) presently has primary jurisdiction over permitting and enforcement of the Storm Water Program for Alabama. The City of Mobile was issued NPDES Permit Number ALS000007 on 7 July 2021" (Ref 2, p 16)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) storm water program: "In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated regulations establishing Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) storm water program", "The City of Mobile was issued NPDES Permit Number ALS000007 on 7 July 2021. [...] The City of Mobile is required to develop and implement a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) in accordance with the NPDES Permit requirements.' (Ref 2 p 16)
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme/type of the plan
National Water Plan/Strategy
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Environmental regulation
Enablers & Barriers
Type of enablers
Unknown
Governace and decison-making instruments
Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans)
Educational and knowledge sharing instruments (e.g. science/ living labs, awareness raising campaigns, specific educational programs, green hubs)
Arrangements for governance cooperation
Unknown
Barriers
unknown
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
Unknown
Type of fund(s) used
Unknown
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Entrepreneurship opportunities
Unknown
Business models
Business models
Risk reduction model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Citizens / local communities
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
Expected storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
Expected enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
Water management and blue areas
Improved water quality
Expected improved water quality
Increased protection against flooding
Expected increased protection against flooding
Improved stormwater management
Expected improved stormwater management
Green space and habitat
Increased conversion of degraded land or soil
Expected increased conversion of degraded land or soil
Description of environmental benefits
-Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding: "Control filling, grading, dredging, and other development which may increase erosion or flood damage" (Ref 2 p 22) "Control storm water runoff within the site to minimize soil erosion" (Ref 2 p 93)
-Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion): "Mobile is occasionally affected by major tropical storms and hurricanes which can produce copious amounts of rainfall in a very short period of time" (Ref 2 p 28), "Require that uses vulnerable to floods, including facilities which serve such uses, be protected against flood damage at the time of initial construction" (Ref 2 p 21)
-Improved water quality: "Overlapping the land use with watershed boundaries will provide the City with the information needed to identify and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are targeted to help improve water quality." (Ref 2 p 34), "reduce the potential discharge of pollutants to downstream waters"(Ref 2 p 41)
-Increased protection against flooding: "Proper operation and maintenance of storm water collection systems can greatly reduce the potential of flooding" (Ref 2 p 41)
-Improved stormwater management: "The City of Mobile’s SWMP has been updated to address the storm water pollution prevention and management programs " (Ref 2 p 16)
-Increased conversion of degraded land or soil: "Minimize the amount of soil exposed during construction activity through the use of project phasing", "Minimize soil compaction and preserve topsoil"(Ref 2 p 93)
Environmental impact indicators
Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced
unknown
Green space area created (in ha)
unknown
Area of river/lake or riparian area restored (in ha)
unknown
Water retention capacity (m³ or %)
unknown
Volume of stormwater treated (m³)
unknown
Area of water management infrastructure (e.g. SUDs, rain gardens) (m2)
unknown
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Expected improved liveability
Health and wellbeing
Improved physical health
Expected improved physical health
Education
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Safety
Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
Expected improved community safety to climate-related hazards
Social and cultural impact indicators
Number of environmental education programs, workshops, outreach activities (eg. in schools, community centers, public spaces)
unknown
Number of people and/or communities whose climate vulnerability is reduced
unknown
Description of social and cultural benefits
-Improved liveability: "Roadside litter control BMPs implemented by the City to address health and aesthetic concerns also improve the quality of storm water runoff by limiting trash in runoff conveyance systems." (Ref 2 p 123)
-Improved physical health: "The Storm Water Management and Flood Control Ordinance promotes the public, health, safety, and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions" (Ref 2 p 21)
-Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits: "Implement public education activities regarding the storm water management program, recycling" (Ref 2 p 17)
-Improved community safety to climate-related hazards: "The Storm Water Management and Flood Control Ordinance promotes the public health, safety, and general welfare and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions" (Ref 2 p 21)
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
Local government/municipality
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
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
Yes
Cost-benefit analysis
Unknown
Transparency
Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.)
Clear communication channels for stakeholders to provide feedback, raise concerns, and ask questions about the project
Justice
Community satisfaction
Unknown
Description of locals satisfaction with the project
unknown
Trade-offs & Negative impacts
Unknown
Please specify Trade-offs & Negative impacts Selected
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)
Yes
Goal setting and impacts delivery
No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas.
Reaching original project goals
Inconclusive as the project is still undergoing implementation, or is still on its planning stages
Long-term perspective
Yes
Cost-effective solutions
Unknown
Equitable impacts
C. Unknown
Transformative capacity
Technical change (e.g. built infrastructure of cities and their parts, roads, buildings and so on)
Magnitude of change
Reformist: by focusing on addressing underlying drivers of change but failing to address the problem structurally or systemically
Application of lessons learned
Unknown
Perception of Environmental Change
Unknown
References
1.
Mobile County (n.d.). Stormwater Management Program Plan. Mobile: Mobile County, p. 1 Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
2.
City of Mobile (2023). Storm water management plan 2023 city of Mobile. Mobile: City of Mobile, p. 1-161 Accessed on September 13, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
3.
Ramey, A. (2021). Mobile maps stormwater system, looks to fix flooding problems. Mobile, Al: NBC 15 News, p. 1-3 Accessed on September 18, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
4.
Datausa.com (2022). Demographics Mobile - data USA. Mobile, Al: Datausa.com, Accessed on September 19, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
Comments and notes
Additional insights
The program has several key objectives (Ref 2):
1) Reduce pollutant discharge from MS4 to the Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP);
2) Monitor stormwater collection system operations to reduce flooding and pollutant discharge (Ref 2, p 41);
3) Develop and enforce controls to minimize pollutants from construction activities, using measures like retention basins, pervious pavement, swales, and urban canopies (p 105), and preserving natural systems;
4) Identify and eliminate illicit discharges into the storm sewer, with public facilities and education efforts (p 136), and providing guidelines for industries (p 140);
5) Implement good housekeeping practices in municipal operations (such as park maintenance, public transport, etc) (p 120);
6) Develop stormwater management practices for new and redevelopment projects;
7) Reduce pollutants from pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers through effective management and landscaping practices (p 128);
8) Prevent and respond to spills that may enter the MS4 (p 114);
9) Establish a monitoring program to assess the SWMP.
Public Images
Example of a cleaning solution for the creeks in Mobile - litter traps - here picture and the location of the litter trap implemented in Eslava Creek
Picture and the location of the litter trap implemented in Eslava Creek
https://www.stormwatermobile.org/uploads/images/2023-01-24%20FINAL%20Mobile%20SWMP%20Plan%20Update.pdf, page 50, accessed on: 18/09/2024
Map of potential pollutants accross the streams in Mobile, due to runoff stormwater
Map of potential pollutants accross the streams in Mobile, due to runoff stormwater
https://www.stormwatermobile.org/uploads/images/2023-01-24%20FINAL%20Mobile%20SWMP%20Plan%20Update.pdf, page 37, accessed on 18/09/2024