1. General information Location and description of the intervention City or FUA Sevilla (FUA) Region Europe Short description of the intervention To reduce the risk of urban flooding, the city of Seville, through its metropolitan water company Emasesa, established several "sustainable urban drainage systems". One of the pilot locations is on the Avenida de las Ascociaciones de Vecinos, where a rain garden complemented by an infiltration zone was established. The main aim of the project is to reduce the risk of flooding, but the system can also improve the urban landscape by offering green space, preventing desertification and reducing pollutants carried by runoff [Ref. 1-4]. After implementation, the project was shown to be effective during heavy rain [Ref. 5]. The system can store up to 34 m2 of water and reduce flow rates to the sewage network by 69 % and the total runoff to sewage by 93 % [Ref. 3-5]. The project was initiated and led by Emamesa, while two different companies were employed to design and construct the system [Ref. 1, 2, 6, 7]. The total budget of the project, which also included some renovations of grey infrastructure along the street, was 165000 EUR [Ref. 1]. Website of the intervention https://www.sevilla.org/actualidad/noticias/2020/obras-de-reurbanizacion-avenid… Principal problems Climate-Related Hazards Urban flooding (stormwater) Environmental Degradation Biodiversity loss Poor water quality Desertification 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 Urban or built environment Address Av. las Asociaciones de Vecinos 41008 Sevilla 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 (map-based) NBS area image Source of NBS area image Google maps (https://maps.app.goo.gl/Jve6CHzEGvUbrA7Z6) Total area 1679.00m² NBS area 833.00m² Area description Urban (main city) Type of area before implementation of the NBS Roads / Roadsides Timeline of intervention Start date of the intervention (planning process) unknown Start date of intervention (implementation process) 2020 End date of the intervention 2020 Present stage of the intervention Completed 2. Objectives of the intervention Objectives of the intervention Goals of the intervention - Reduce the risk of flooding and the pressure on sanitation networks - Test the effects of the sustainable urban drainage system and its potential to be implemented in other locations - Reduce pollution in runoff water - Renovate a degraded public space and increase life quality in the neighbourhood [Ref. 1, 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 Water management (SDG 6) 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 Implementation activities and NBS focus Implementation activities 1. The renovation of the Avenida de Las Asociaciones de Vecinos was planned by the City of Seville and the municipal water company Emasesa [Ref. 1, 2] 2. The sustainable urban drainage system was designed by the company GreenBlue Management [Ref. 6]. 3. The system was constructed, consisting of a rain garden, called a bioretention zone, with durable plants and two permeable infiltration zones leading water to the rain garden. 4. The system was equipped with a control system collecting data on the flow and water quality of water flowing into and out of the bioretention zone to evaluate the efficacy of the system [Ref. 1, 3, 4]. Type of NBS project Creation of semi-natural blue areas Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens) 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 Sustainable urban drainage systems 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 Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings) Beneficiaries Demographics in implementation area The project is located in the Norte district of Sevilla, which has a relatively low avarage income compared to other districts [Ref. 8]. Socio-economic profile of the area Low-income Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts Unknown Primary Beneficiaries Local government/Municipality Citizens or community groups Specify primary beneficiaries Local government/Municipality: For the city of Seville and the municipal water company, the NBS is a pilot project that will provide a better understanding of this type of drainage system, which can be useful in future projects. Citizens or community groups: Local citizens benefit from the reduced flood risk, as well as an increased green space and improved public space [Ref. 1, 3-5].. Marginalized groups Unknown Other beneficiaries Ecosystem services (e.g. improved air quality, water purification) City infrastructure (e.g., reduced flooding, improved water quality) 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 municipal water and sewage company, Emasesa, initiated and implemented the project [Ref. 1-5]. A company called GreenBlue Management, specialising in nature-based water management solutions, was involved in designing the drainage system [Ref. 6]. A construction company, Villa Flores Martin, was employed to build the system [Ref. 7]. It is stated that the project of renovating the avenue was requested by local citizens, but it is unclear how citizen participation was conducted [Ref. 1]. Key actors - initiating organization Local government/municipality Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors) Citizens or community group Private sector/corporate actor/company Stages of citizen and community engagement Unknown Level of citizen and community engagement Unknown Community empowerment or capacity-building initiatives Unknwon Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders) Unknown Uncommon actors ("Missing actors") Infrastructure & Management Utility companies: water, sewage, etc. Land owners Public space owned by the city Policy drivers NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan Unknown NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan Unknown Mandatory or voluntary intervention Voluntary (spontaneous) Enablers & Barriers Type of enablers Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives. The project follows in the footsteps of another sustainable drainage system, established by the City of Seville a couple of years earlier at the Avenida del Greco [Ref. 3, 4]. Governace and decison-making instruments Unknown Arrangements for governance cooperation Unknown Barriers Unknown Financing Total cost €100,000 - €500,000 Please specify total cost (EUR) 165 000 EUR. This includes the entire project, including grey elements such as renovating the sanitation network. The cost of the green elements is unknown [Ref. 1, 3] What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements? Unknown Source(s) of funding Public local authority budget Type of fund(s) used Earmarked public budget 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) 5. Evaluation and learning Impacts, benefits Environmental impacts Climate change Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding Achieved storm / wave induced erosion and flooding Water management and blue areas Improved water quality Expected improved water quality Increased protection against flooding Achieved increased protection against flooding Improved stormwater management Achieved improved stormwater management 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 storm / wave induced erosion and flooding: The sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) mitigates flooding during storms [Ref. 1-5]. 2. Expected improved water quality: The plants and soils of the SUDS can treat runoff water from pollutants, reducing pollution downstream [Ref. 2-4] 3. Achieved increased protection against flooding: The SUDS can collect runoff water and store up to 34 m3, reducing the risk of flood in the area and the pressure on the sanitation network [Ref. 1-5] 4. Achieved improved stormwater management: In addition to reducing flood risk, the SUDS reduces the peak flow rates to the sewage network by 69 % and total runoff to the sewage by 93%, reducing the need for conventional treatment [Ref. 1-5] 5. Achieved increased green space area: The bioretention section of the SUDS doubles as a green space, improving the local climate and aesthetics of the place [Ref. 1-4] 6. Achieved increased number of species present: The bioretention zone is planted with different plant species, which can withstand the conditions of the SUDS. The concept is said to promote biodiversity [Ref. 1-4]. Environmental impact indicators Green space area created (in ha) 0,08 Water retention capacity (m³ or %) 34 m3 Area of water management infrastructure (e.g. SUDs, rain gardens) (m2) 1679 Economic impacts Reduce financial cost for urban management Achieved reduce financial cost for urban management Description of economic benefits Achieved reduced financial cost for urban management: The SUDS reduces the need for conventional water treatment and, as a consequence, energy and operating costs of the conventional system [Ref. 3-4]. Social and cultural impacts Social justice and cohesion Improved liveability Achieved improved liveability Description of social and cultural benefits Achieved improved liveability: The SUDS is said to improve the habitability of the area by improving the local landscape and climate [Ref. 1-4] 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 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 Unknown 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 Most of the project goals were achieved Long-term perspective Yes Cost-effective solutions Unknown Equitable impacts A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project 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 The NBS has been shared or used as a good practice to trigger transformative change Perception of Environmental Change Unknown 6. Sources References 1. City of Seville (2020). Obras de reurbanización en la Avenida de Las Asociaciones de Vecinos del Distrito Norte con la renovación de redes y la puesta en marcha de una prueba piloto de sistema de drenaje urbano sostenible en parterres. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 2. Emamesa (n.d.). Drenaje urbano sostenible. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 3. Sevilla Actualidad (2020). Emasesa apuesta por los sistemas urbanos de drenaje sostenible en Sevilla. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 4. Europa Press (2020). Emasesa instala un sistema de drenaje sostenible en parterres de la avenida de las Asociaciones de Vecinos de Sevilla. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 5. Emamesa (2020). Excelente respuesta del Sistema de Drenaje Sostenible (SUDS) situado en la Avda. de las Asociaciones de Vecinos ante las intensas lluvias que se producían el día de ayer en nuestra ciudad. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 6. GreenBlue Management (2020). SUDS en Avda. de las Asociaciones de Vecinos, Sevilla. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 7. Villa Flores Martín (2020). Sistema de drenaje urbano sostenible en Sevilla para EMASESA. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link] [Archive]; 8. City of Seville (2022). Anuario Estadístico de la Ciudad de Sevilla, 2022. [Download]; Comments and notes Public Images Image The rain garden/bioretention zone of the drainage system. Ref. 5 Image The infiltration zone of the system, from which water will be led to the bioretention zone. Ref. 5
Image The infiltration zone of the system, from which water will be led to the bioretention zone. Ref. 5
