1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Sevilla (FUA) Region Europe Native title of the NBS intervention Campaña de Plantaciones Short description of the intervention The City of Seville has carried out four tree planting campaigns between 2020 and 2024, aiming to meet the goals of its Urban Tree Management Plan for Seville [Ref. 2-7]. The intervention as described here is based on the planting campaigns to date, but as the Management Plan spans from 2019 to 2039, more campaigns can expected in the future. The tree management plan aims to provide guidelines for the planning of trees in the city to maximise their value and minimize conflicts. As part of the process, the current state of the tree population in Seville has been evaluated. The management plan describes the ecosystem services of trees related to climate adaptation, biodiversity and public health. It also identifies challenges and conflicts that may arise due to urban trees and their management [Ref. 1]. The plan has a goal to increase the tree cover in Seville by 5 % over 20 years, which leads to the ambition of planting 5000 trees yearly and the tree planting campaigns over the last years. Between 2020 and 2024, about 1000-5000 trees have been planted each year [Ref. 1-5]. Website of the intervention https://www.sevilla.org/servicios/medio-ambiente-parques-jardines/campana-de-pl… Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Heat stress & Extreme temperatures Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Soil degradation and loss Air pollution Implementation area characterization Climate Temperate ( Humid subtropical, Hot-summer Mediterranean, Warm-summer Mediterranean, Warm-temperate with dry winter) Ecosystem Urban or built environment Address Seville Spain 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) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Central Business District / City Centre Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) 2019 Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2020 End date of the intervention 2024 Present stage of the intervention Ongoing 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention The tree planting campaigns are carried out to meet the relevant goals of the Urban Tree Management Plan for Seville, which are to: 1. Achieve a more functional tree population that enhances the ecosystem services provided by urban trees. 2. Increase the tree cover in the city by 5 % over 20 years, and plant 5000 trees every year. 3. Orient management practices towards maximizing the benefits of urban trees while simultaneously reducing conflicts and issues associated with their presence. 4. Focus on strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change, which is particularly important given Seville's climate conditions. 5. Foster shared responsibility among municipal areas and the community in the care and management of urban trees, promoting trust and transparency in the process. 6. Ensure that the benefits of urban trees are distributed equitably across all communities within the city [Ref. 1-5]. 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 Environmental quality Air quality improvement Noise reduction Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15) Green space creation and/or management Health and well-being (SDG 3) Improving mental health Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10) Social cohesion Sense of community and community engagement Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets? Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect Restore and protect forests to prevent water runoff and assets loss due to flooding Mental health and well-being objectives The urban tree management plan acknowledges that urban green space and trees can provide relaxation and recreation, which can improve mental health. It also encourages community engagement in caring for and appreciating the trees, which can create a sense of community and benefit mental health. The goal of the plan is to maximise such functions [Ref. 1] Mental health and well-being activities No activities other than tree planting was reported as part of the tree planting campaigns. However, increasing the amount of trees and tree cover should increase the benefits [Ref. 1-4] Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1. The urban tree management plan was drafted based on a consultation and participation process, which included different departments of the municipality, technicians from maintenance companies, neighbourhood associations and environmental organisations [Ref. 1] 2. The urban tree management plan was approved in 2019 and will apply until 2039 [Ref. 1]. 3. In the 2020-2021 campaign, 3570 new trees were to be planted in streets and parks [Ref. 2] 4. In the 2021-2022 campaign, 5560 trees and 2803 shrubs were planted [Ref. 3] 5. In the 2022-2023 campaign, 2432 trees were planted [Ref. 4] 6. In the 2023-2024 campaign, 1151 trees were planted in phase 1, and an unknown number in phase 2 [Ref. 5] Type of NBS project Creation of new green areas Creation of any other green urban spaces Maintenance and management of urban nature Updated management structure of existing green spaces (e.g. parks) Urban reforestation, restoration of street trees 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 Grey infrastructure featuring greens Alley or street trees and other street vegetation Parks and urban forests Large urban parks or forests Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces Please specify "other parks or (semi)natural urban green area" Street trees Amenities offered by the NBS Unknown Design elements for well-being None of the above Services Expected ecosystem services delivered Regulating services Local climate regulation (temperature reduction) Air quality regulation Noise reduction Carbon storage/sequestration Flood regulation Habitat and supporting services Habitats for species Cultural services Aesthetic appreciation Recreation Mental and physical health and wellbeing Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational) Scale Spatial scale Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area Unknown. The project is city wide, therefore the demographics would be varied and represent all of Seville. Socio-economic profile of the area Unknown Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries Citizens or community groups: The effect of trees on the quality of life and health benefits in the city, such as promoting relaxation and reducing heat, is emphasized [Ref. 1, 6]. This would positively impact the citizens who gain an increased tree cover in their area. Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Local wildlife (e.g., birds, pollinators) Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress) 4. Governance and financing Governance Governance arrangements Government-led Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative The City of Sevilla is responsible for the tree plan and the planting campaigns. The city cooperates with the regional government and private institutions regarding reforestation in parks. The citizens of the city are stakeholders as the plan aims for the communities to be involved in caring for the trees. In creating the plan, the city held consultations with stakeholders such as maintenance companies, neighbourhood associations and environmental organisations. However, it is not clear how citizens are actively involved in the planting campaigns [Ref. 1-5]. Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Regional government Non-government organisation/civil society Citizens or community group Private sector/corporate actor/company Stages of citizen and community engagement Planning and design (e.g. site selection, identification of key priorities) Development of project proposal On-the-ground implementation Level of citizen and community engagement Limited Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Formation of community-led groups responsible for the the implementation, maintenace or monitoring of the project Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls) Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting) Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Unknown Land owners Public space owned by the city Other Please specify other landowner Certain parks are owned by the regional government of Andalusia. The city also cooperates with private institutions regarding park management, suggesting that they might be land owners [Ref. 1, 2] Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Yes Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy" A law on environmental quality management of the regional government of Andalusia was considered in the making of the tree plan. The plan should also align with the Andalusian Climate Action Plan [Ref. 1] NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Yes Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan" Urban Tree Management Plan for Seville Relevant strategy or plan City specific green space strategy or plan Mandatory or voluntary intervention Mandatory (based on policy) Intervention is mandatory Environmental regulation Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Capacity-building projects 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. Not specified, but the city aims to seek cooperation and external funding that can finance the enactment of the tree plan. The city is also said to cooperate with academic institutions to study urban forestry and its benefits [Ref. 1]. Governace and decison-making instruments Legislative and regulatory instruments (e.g. laws, strategies, regulations or restrictions) 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 Formal coordination mechanisms to oversee project implementation and decision-making (e.g., multi-stakeholder steering committees, working groups) Barriers In 2023, a storm hit, which caused damage to many trees and halted progress with the planting [Ref. 5, 6]. There was also a switch in government, and quotes from the new mayor regarding the previous administration's work with tree planting suggest that there is some political controversy [Ref. 6]. Financing Total cost Unknown Please specify total cost (EUR) Total cost unknown. For the 2021-2022 planting campaign, the City of Seville's budget was 400 000 EUR [Ref. 3]. For the 2022-2023 campaign, one reference reports costs of about 400 000 EUR [Ref. 7] Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget Non-financial contribution Yes Who provided the non-financial contribution? Other Please specify other source of non-financial contribution Universities/research organisations Type of non-financial contribution Provision of expertise Co-finance for NBS Unknown Entrepreneurship opportunities Unknown Business models Business models Green densification model Green health model Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model? Public actor (e.g. municipality) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Lowered local temperature Expected lowered local temperature Enhanced carbon sequestration Expected enhanced carbon sequestration Green space and habitat Increased green space area Achieved increased green space area Increased number of species present Achieved increased number of species present Description of environmental benefits 1. Achieved increased green space area: The planting of trees in areas without them will create new green space, although mostly small areas [Ref. 2-7] 2. Achieved increased number of species present: A large variety of tree species is being planted, as instructed by the tree management plan [Ref. 1-5] In the 2020-2021 campaign, 3570 new trees were to be planted in streets and parks [Ref. 2]; In the 2021-2022 campaign, 5560 trees and 2803 shrubs were planted [Ref. 3]; In the 2022-2023 campaign, 2432 trees were planted [Ref. 4];In the 2023-2024 campaign, 1151 trees were planted in phase 1, and an unknown number in phase 2 [Ref. 5] These are the direct effects of the tree planting campaigns. Based on the tree plan, indirect effects of more trees can be expected in the form of ecosystem services. This would include: -Lowered local temperature & -Enhanced carbon sequestration [Ref. 1]. Environmental impact indicators Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced 12 713+ Economic impacts Increased property prices Expected increased property prices Description of economic benefits Increased property prices: Indirect effects of the tree plan and planting campaign may be the increased value of urban areas and property, reducing the need for infrastructure and reducing energy costs for heating and cooling buildings [Ref. 1] Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved access to urban green space Achieved improved access to urban green space Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces Health and wellbeing Improved physical health Expected improved physical health Improved mental health Expected improved mental health Education Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits Description of social and cultural benefits 1. Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces: The tree management plan was created based on consultation of neighbourhood associations, and aims to involve locals in the management and care of the trees [Ref. 1]. 2. Achieved improved access to urban green space: The planting of trees throughout the city should improve access to green areas [Ref. 2-6]. 3. Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits: The advertising of the tree planting campaign and the management plan, and the involving of locals should increase awareness of the benefits of trees in the public and within the municipality [Ref. 1, 6, 7]. Expected improved mental health & Expected improved physical health: Additional indirect social effects of the tree plantings may be improved health and wellbeing [Ref. 1] Mental health benefits Restoration and relaxation 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 Yes Type of indicators Input indicators Progress indicators Outcome 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 Yes Link to GIS monitoring data https://www.sevilla.org/servicios/medio-ambiente-parques-jardines/plan-gestion-… Cost-benefit analysis Unknown Transparency Meetings with stakeholders’ representatives Inclusion of diverse stakeholders in project governance processes (e.g. planning, implementation, monitoring, etc.) Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data) Justice Community satisfaction Unknown Description of locals satisfaction with the project Unknown 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) 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 Some of the project goals were achieved Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts C. Unknown Transformative capacity Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution) 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 6. Sources References 1. Ayuntamiento de Sevilla (2019). Arbolado Sevilla: Resumen ejecutivo del Plan Director del Arbolado Urbano de Sevilla. [Source link] [Archive]; 2. City of Sevilla (n.d.). 2020-2021 plantation campaign. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. City of Sevilla (n.d.). 2021-2022 plantation campaign. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Download]; 4. City of Sevilla (n.d.). 2022-2023 plantation campaign. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. City of Sevilla (n.d.). Campaña de plantaciones 2023-2024. [Source link] [Archive]; 6. Diario de Sevilla (2023). Seville City Council's tree planting campaign kicks off. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Europa Press Andalusia (2022). Parks and Gardens begins the new planting campaign in the Prado with 31 more specimens in front of the US (Seville). Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; Comments and notes Public Images Image Newly planted trees in a park in Seville https://www.sevilla.org/actualidad/plantaciones/campana-de-plantaciones-2021-2022
Image Newly planted trees in a park in Seville https://www.sevilla.org/actualidad/plantaciones/campana-de-plantaciones-2021-2022
