City specific climate change policy or plan

Douala is the economic capital of Cameroon and one of its largest cities. The city is located on the banks of the Wouri River (hence a port city) and its climate is tropical. The marine and coastal biodiversity of Cameroon is rich and diverse, and it is highly endangered because of human activities including artisanal and industrial fishing and pollution generated from industries, accidental loss of crude oil in transit or during loading or unloading. In Douala, thousands of inhabitants have settled in and around the mangrove swamps, destroying the mangrove ecosystem and endangering biodiversity including snakes, birds, fish, trees and frogs. Biodiversity studies are rare, and even if they exist, they are done in part and do not give an overview of the real state of biodiversity in the city. The city of Douala is full of many ecosystems of various natures (micro-ecosystems), each of which has species adapted to the environment. Besides this, Douala confronts itself with seasonal flooding and high temperatures due to climate change. In response to some of these challenges, a local entity, the Association of academics and researchers for Biodiversity conservation, initiated in 2020 an action that focused on environmental education and biodiversity conservation. The initiative also provides a framework for reflection and exchange on biodiversity issues. (1,3,4)

The Mesurado mangrove forests, which is the focus point of the intervention, covers an area of approximately 6,760 hectares. It is situated within Montserrado County, around Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia, West Africa. It is surrounded by 38 human settlements some of which are regarded as slums. The area is currently one of those five Ramsar (Iranian city wherein 1971 was signed and ratified the Convention on Wetlands) designated sites in Liberia and a home of three species of mangrove that stands at the point of extinction due to human encroachment. (3) Adding to this, the area is used as a colossal waste dump, and, in cases, for cutting of mangrove trees for fish drying. In addition to the huge species richness of the area, it also serves as a habitat and breeding ground for marine species and provides a number of important ecosystem services. This intervention seeks to address the issue of ignorance on the part of the communities about the importance and benefits of mangroves in communities within and around the Mesurado wetland. As it is a soft measure project, the main implementation strategy includes a series of educational episodes through a system of religious conservation awareness and education and alternative livelihood options for the communities engaged. (1,2)

Ecuador is considered one of the most biodiverse countries in the world (one of the 17th most diverse), due to the high diversity of their natural species. The country has around 23.056 taxonomic species of animals and plants reported, which constitutes the 6,1% of all species reported worldwide. (6) Quito, the country's capital makes no exception and is considered a biodiversity hotspot. In recent years, urban expansion has had a detrimental effect on the environment and the city’s ecology. All of these actions exacerbate the stresses on the different ecosystems, contaminate water sources and networks, and put the city’s capacity to supply ecosystem services at risk. To respond to many of these challenges the municipality of Quito initiated in 2020 a nature-based solution program under the EU framework of Clever Cities. (1) The project intends to position nature-based solutions as a means to improving public health, social cohesion, citizen security and increasing economic opportunities in those areas. (3)

The Anderson Road Quarry, once a vacant 40-hectare site is getting transformed into a sustainable residential neighbourhood while ensuring climate resiliency and low environmental impact in Hong Kong. The site will supply housing for 25,000 people. In addition to this, the city is employing a wide array of adaptive and resilient approaches including saving around 3,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, helping the city live up to its 65% to 75% carbon reduction goal by 2030 set in Hong Kong Climate Action Plan. [1]

As of 2011, Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, has a population of approx. 330,000 people. By 2018, an estimated 40% of Namibia’s 2.4 million population were living in shacks and Windhoek makes no exception. Approximately 30% of the capital population lives in unplanned informal settlements struggling to access basic services such as water and sanitation. Worse than that informal settlements are especially vulnerable to environmental hazards: they are squeezed in next to each other on the slopes of mountainsides. When there's the occurrence of floods, they do so with such force and wash away people’s homes and their belongings. Even more distressing, people often lose their children due to rapid and unannounced flash floods. As a response to these threats and challenges the inhabitants of an informal settlement, Onyika (located in Okuryangava - which is a suburb of Windhoek, situated in the north of the capital city) paired with local authorities, donors and climate change experts to embark on a community-led process of creating a climate-resilient community. Being especially vulnerable to climate change, these forms of settlements require special attention in the development of climate resilience strategies. (1, 6)

Battambang is projected to experience significant effects of climate change that will have a range of impacts including changes to hydrology and the frequency and intensity of flooding and droughts. As part of an Asian Development Bank project, a technical Climate Change Core Group was established to ensure that representatives from key sectors and levels of government work together to build resilience for the town and prepare the residents for the inevitable climate change impacts in the future. Three infrastructure systems in Battambang were identified for detailed vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning by the climate change Core Group; a) a long canal system to the west of the town, b) the riverbanks near the Sor Kheng Bridge in the centre of town, c) the train station and surrounding wetlands and settlements in the centre of town. [1, 2]

A multi-purpose green belt (12 km in length of Batticaloa Municipal Corporation coast) was established to protect the lagoon and coastal areas, restore mangrove ecosystems and improve coastal biodiversity. The project comes under activity 1.3 of the overarching project Climate Resilient Action Plans for Coastal Urban Areas in Sri Lanka (CCSL). The project focuses on the most urgent and immediate needs of the Sri Lankan coastal cities in adapting to climate change, and mitigating risks and the severity of impacts through Disaster Risk Management (DRM). The green belt plantation was done with Casuarinas plantation in 400 ha (out of which 75% by Mandru and 25% by the Forest Department), mangrove forest redesigning and protection of the existing vegetation. [1, 2, 6]

The Gangxia 1980 green roof, a pilot of the Green Cloud project, was launched by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in collaboration with key partners, including: Zhubo-AAO; Glocal Estate Management; and Urban Planning & Design Institute of Shenzhen (UPDIS) [1]. Located on an old building in Gangxia village in Shenzhen, the project utilizes three-dimensional light steel structures that are simple to construct and have the capacity to hold over 420 plant containers, filled with plants mostly native to Southern China [1, 2]. The original concrete rooftop is transformed by vegetation, which is capable of absorbing and preserving rainwater, creating a nature-based stormwater management system for the residential building, achieving a 65% of run-off control rate [1, 2]. As a result, a living “green cloud” is formed on a rooftop of Gangxia village, showcasing “a model to improve the urban village’s stormwater management system and its living environment” [1. p.33].

The Kok River which runs through Chiang Rai City is in the process of being ecologically restored (Ref. 1). Having previously been a "lifeline for the city and various communities along its banks", sections of the river ran dry 20 years ago due to the construction of a large scale diversion channel and dredging by a major hotel (Ref. 2). In addition to reestablishing the river flow, restoration efforts are focusing on the opportunity to provide additional water storage, flood reduction and urban greening (Refs. 1 & 4). These improvements are considered particularly important given that the city of Chiang Rai is "expected to be affected by climate-induced drought as a result of changing rainfall patterns; rain which may also be heavy at times leading to excessive runoff into such channels; and flooding" (Ref. 4). To date, wetlands have been restored, and community benefits, such as a walking path, created (Ref. 3).

Improved water circulation and quality are further going to minimise the occurrence of breeding grounds for disease vectors (Ref. 4). Whilst already recognised as a problem, vector-borne and waterborne diseases are anticipated to become more prevalent due to increased temperatures associated with climate change (Ref. 4).

The Krubong landfill site has been proposed to undergo a "thorough and safe environmental rehabilitation program[me]" so that the site can be developed as a public park (Ref. 1). Following completion of a feasibility study, it is envisaged that significant rehabilitation work to address environmental degradation and restoration of natural habitats will be required, after which the site will be developed into a public park (Ref. 1). The programme remains in its planning stage, but seeks to address Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) 11.6 and 15.1 through protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of ecosystems and reversing land degradation and/or biodiversity loss; and reducing the environmental impact of cities by paying special attention to waste management and providing access to safe, open public spaces (Ref. 1). At a more local level, the programme intends to complement additional programmes laid out in Melaka's Resilience strategy document, including promoting both cycling and pedestrian networks and reshaping public spaces in the city (Ref. 1).