Soil quality improvement

The main rivers that cross Lilongwe are the Lilongwe, Lingadzi, Nankhaka and Chankhandwe Rivers, of which the Lilongwe River is the biggest and longest river and the primary source of water for Lilongwe city's residents. At 200 km long, besides its primary function, the river also supports several informal settlements and provides ecological, recreational, cultural and economic benefits. Despite these important functions that the river offers, it is still facing threats such as pollution, urban agriculture, sand mining, climate change effects, and a loss in the biodiversity of fauna and flora that this watercourse hosts. As it sustains a population of approx. 1 mil. inhabitants, the local authorities were interested in finding solutions to address the above threats. As early as 2016, ICLEI ( Local Governments for Sustainability), an international NGO that promotes sustainable development, worked alongside Lilongwe City Council and other stakeholders to protect the river as well as the people depending on it and implemented several actions, with the help of the local community. Eventually, this collaboration led to the issuing of a strategic plan for a sustainable and functional ecological corridor system in the heart of Lilongwe City. The Ecological Corridor aims to transform Lilongwe into a green, clean, prosperous, and resilient city, by ensuring the protection of its urban natural assets, and advancing complementary nature-based solutions. 1,2,3)

The Bluebelt programme in Staten Island was implemented as it "preserves natural drainage corridors including streams, ponds, and wetlands, and enhances them to perform their functions of conveying, storing, and filtering runoff precipitation or stormwater". (Ref. 2). By delivering "stormwater to engineered systems that are designed to mimic natural streams and ponds which...meander or wind back and forth, the water slows down naturally" (Ref. 1). These actions are intended to "help control flooding, pollution and erosion" (Ref. 2), whilst also providing open green areas for both local communities and a "diverse habitat for wildlife" (Ref. 2). Beginning in 1990, the Bluebelt programme has undergone continual expansion, recognising that "as New York City prepares for rising sea levels and heavier rains due to climate change, Bluebelts offer a natural and effective solution for stable and sound stormwater management" (Refs. 2 & 4). The Bluebelt now includes approximately 400 acres of freshwater wetland and riparian stream habitat and 11 miles of stream corridor (Ref. 4).

The project has seen the "installation of rock structures to reduce the energy of the water that is drained by conventional rainwater galleries and the strategic planting of certain plant species that, through phytoremediation, can mitigate the diffuse pollution that affects the body of the river" (Ref. 1). In combination, "these solutions aim to prevent erosion and landslides on the banks, stop the siltation of the river, improve water quality and strengthen the linear park as a leisure space increasingly demanded by the population in its surroundings" (Ref. 1). A demonstration project which occurred under ICLEI's INTERACT-Bio project, the implementation of NBS has also been accompanied by other measures which saw Lake Cabrinha be de-silted, a walking path, benches, and playground be built and LED lighting be installed" (Ref. 1).

Monavale Vlei is an important wetland area within the city of Harare, characterised by miombo woodlands that play an important role in the fragile ecosystem of the Manyame catchment basin, the main supplier of water for the city of Harare and its suburbs. Throughout the years, Monavale has been subjected to a number of threats such as construction developments, dumping of waste, fires, illegal farming, invasive plants, informal agricultural practices and loss of biodiversity. To address some of these challenges the local community organized itself into a group - Conservation Society of Monavale (Cosmo) Trust, to protect the area and, with the help of the municipality of Harare and some international bodies, implemented a series of actions designed to protect the wetland and reduce the loss of biodiversity, among many others. In 2009 the NGO was awarded a United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility Small Grant. The intervention had 3 objectives: to restore parts of the wetlands, to advocate with the local and international authorities for the legislative protection of the wetlands, and to engage the scientific community in research regarding the wetlands. This enabled Cosmo to restore Monavale vlei to an almost pristine wetland state, and other UN funding has made possible several training and awareness projects for a wide range of audiences. (1,2,3)

Extensive and low-lying, Suriname’s coastal region has been identified as highly vulnerable to climate-induced sea-level rise (Ref. 1). "Momentarily the most endangered community by sea-level rise in the whole of South America and the Caribbean", the Suriname Building With Nature project has seen "wooden, water penetrable dams...being built to trap sediment and replant mangroves" (Ref. 1). Prior to the implementation of the Building With Nature project, no mitigation measures had been undertaken to protect the area, and "human interference ha[d] converted mangrove areas to agricultural land, fishing ponds and settlements", with the loss of stabilisation provided by the mangroves meaning that "the coast has become susceptible to flooding and erosion, losing up to 27 meters of land in one year" (Ref. 1). It has caused "displacement of local habitants and loss of livelihoods, [with]...the local population...and its fisheries, farms, and important religious and cultural sites [being] at risk to frequent flooding and land degradation" (Ref. 1). The Building With Nature approach is touted as being "essential for mangrove and biodiversity conservation and the enhancement of the quantity of the blue carbon sequestered in coastal areas" (Ref. 2).

Park Podnikolie, with an area of about 100 hectares, is part of the water-green frame of the city and is included in the conservation zone of the historical and cultural value of the city of Mogilev [4,11]. Since olden times on the territory of Podnikol, there were up to 400 manor plots, occupied mainly by vegetable gardens. Now Podnikolie is a large park, which has become a favourite place for residents and guests of the regional centre [1]. More than 1125 tree saplings have been planted on the territory of Podnikolie to preserve the integrity of the historical ground, the historical territory [1,9,10,11]. Thus, the park is also called the "green heart" of Mogilev city. The densely planted area is officially a quiet recreation area where people "merge" with nature [1,2,6,10]. The project's goal is to improve the urban management system, promote the implementation of the principles of green urban planning, and improve citizens' quality of life through effective cooperation between local authorities and the population [2,9,10].

As part of the "Urban Forest Policy", the first Miyawaki urban forest was created in an area of 2,850 square meters in Lahore, Pakistan. The initiative was a result of a public-private partnership between Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Restore Green. The project was carried out under the PM Khan 10 billion tree plantation drive. Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, which helps build dense, native forests. The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual. It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years. [1, 2, 3]

As a solution to the increasing population, pollution and high energy consumption, the municipal government of Shiraz has launched the Green City project in 2008. The main aim of this initiative is to reforest the city's periphery and encourage citizens to plant gardens on rooftops and the private sectors to adhere to the city’s development plan with all construction projects. [1]

Senegal, like many other West African countries, is in an unprecedented position when it comes to the threats climate change poses. Climate scientists predict that the country will likely experience increased temperatures, decreased annual rainfalls, a rise in sea levels, and an increased frequency of heavy rainfall events. Automatically these events will change drastically the social and economic structures of the country and are reasons for concern for the people of Senegal and their government. For example, the city of Thiès is in an area where environmental degradation is very advanced. The tree cover is in a situation of extreme fragility due to tree ageing or abusive tree cutting. To address many of these concerns, the city of Thies is trying to become sustainable through the development of green spaces that are expected to restore the city's ecological dimension and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases and the improvement of the living environment. (1,2)

Campinas is a fast-growing city and like many cities in Brazil, it confronts itself with many climatic incidents linked to a hotter and drier climate. In Campinas, in spite of the good performance of the city and the region in economic areas, there is a historical lack of urban landscape planning that integrates adequate social housing and areas that should be protected, such as riparian corridors, ecosystem remnants and other relevant green areas that offer ecosystem services in the urbanised context. Campinas has developed plans, projects and programmes to tackle regional, municipal and local issues related to environmental quality and offer green areas to the least privileged residents. Ecological corridors are being designed to connect forested fragments and/or relevant ecological areas to enable the genetic flow. The municipal green plan adopted the concept of a connectivity line to promote ecological corridors. (1,2)