Water management (SDG 6)

The Urban Micro-Lungs is an Urban Living Lab project in the East of Amman, Jordan that applies the Miyawaki methodology for afforestation to create new green spaces. As part of the project special urban forests were created with the aim to improve the quality of life in dense and deprived urban areas, tackle climate change caused problems such as the urban heat island effect while also supporting local biodiversity. The project was initiated by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment and the Greater Amman Municipality, TAYYUN Research Studio (1,3,4). While the project was just completed in 2021, "the Urban Living Lab has shown the feasibility of creating green spaces even in adverse conditions characterised by dense construction, high degree of surface sealing and lack of open spaces." (1)

Recognising the benefits which urban forests bring to its citizens, Salvador has committed to protecting and restoring the Atlantic Forest, and has developed its own local framework which goes beyond national requirements (Ref. 1). The city has launched several programmes under its 'Salvador, Capital da Mata Atlantica' initiative, which together aim to restore the forest which has "suffered from severe deforestation" (Ref. 1). Included under the umbrella initiative are programmes such as the "'Delivery of trees', recovery of parks and collective planting" (Ref. 4).

The intervention targeted a section of the Dominguez Creek for restoration, with the aim of achieving a "multi-benefit project [which] creates passive and active recreation opportunities for park-poor communities, reestablishes native riparian plantings and captures stormwater before entering the channel along the Dominguez Creek in cities of Gardena and Hawthorne" (Ref. 2). Previously being characterised by the local community as a “Triple U” (Undesirable, Unsafe and Unusable) area, the project aimed to support a variety of environmental, sustainability, and humanitarian activities (Ref. 1). The nature-based solution interventions which were implemented as a result of the project mainly pertained to the planting of in situ trees, shrubs and groundcover plants; restoration of the riparian habitat; temporary installation of a "mini-urban forest for a shaded respite from the harsh downtown streetscape"; aiding in stormwater capture; conservation of water resources through using native plant species; and creating "watershed awareness" (Refs. 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8).

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)

The Sustainable Residential Complex project was a measure taken by the city of Dubai, one of the largest city ecological footprints, with a goal to reduce it to the smallest ecological footprint by 2050. For the past two decades, the UAE government has made an effort to lower its own dependency on fossil fuels, shifting toward more environmentally-friendly sources to power its cities. The sustainable residential complex development project is one of the few initiatives taken by the city administration of Dubai under Vision 2021. Located just outside Dubai the area is the first operational net-zero energy residential complex in Dubai. [1, 2]

The City of Fort Collins is "taking steps to restore flows, fish passage, and ecological function" of Colorado's Cache la Poudre River (Ref. 6). The river was "heavily manipulated for irrigation and mining" throughout the early 20th century (Ref. 6), and today continues subject to the impacts of gravel mining, agriculture and urbanisation (Ref. 1). Regional climate change predictions further complicate our ability "to understand how the river’s hydrology and ecology may respond to warming climate scenarios" (Ref. 1).
The City of Fort Collins was, therefore "invested heavily in this urban river through extensive planning efforts, purchase of approximately 700 hectares of lands within the river’s floodplain, projects to address stormwater control and conveyance, water quality management, and acquisition of in-stream flow water rights", and in 2011, the City’s Natural Areas Department published the Cache la Poudre River Natural Areas Management Plan which outlined "opportunities and challenges in supporting the river’s ecological function and reducing risks to life and property during significant flood events", particularly through the implementation of nature-based solutions (Ref. 1). A suite of nature-based solutions has since been proposed and implemented by the City of Fort Collins, two of which are the Sterling Pond Ecological Restoration (also referred to as North Shields Ponds), and the McMurry Natural Area Ecological Restoration (Refs. 1 and 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)

Under Sustainable Development Goal 11 (make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable) in 2017 a coalition of stakeholders including the Municipality of Asuncion started the implementation of an initiative focused on improving the quality of life in the Metropolitan Area of Asunción through green infrastructure in a sustainable and resilient city framework. Why Asuncion? Cities and metropolitan areas are fundamental centres of economic growth: they contribute approximately 60% of world GDP. However, they also account for around 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions and more than 60% of resource use. Asuncion makes no distinction - it is a city with a high flow of cars and transportation, irregular flooding (the sewerage system there has already been exceeded for some time), and urban growth. Trying to respond to some of these challenges, the present intervention has been proposed with a duration of 5 years. (1,2)

Ecosystem-based adaptation planning in Osh will support the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in establishing its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process and is consistent with the government’s strategic vision for climate change adaptation. Additionally, this project also contributes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and UNDP’s objectives by increasing resilience for the most vulnerable people, communities, and regions, by strengthening institutional and regulatory systems for climate-responsive planning and development, and by strengthening adaptive capacity and reducing exposure to climate risks. The priority sectors for the project are: (1) disaster and emergency management; (2) health; (3) biodiversity conservation; (4) and agriculture and irrigation water. The relevant agencies and stakeholders of these four sectors will be key to ensuring these plans catalyse investments to enhance adaptive capacity in the city. [1, 2]

Eco-district creation in Ulaanbaatar comes under the Ulaanbaatar Green Affordable Housing and Resilient Urban Renewal Project (AHURP). The planned development areas are hotspots of greenhouse emissions and air pollution, mainly due to the widespread use of coal for heating and cooking. The project will transform the highly climate-vulnerable and polluting "ger" areas (traditional Mongolian tents) into zones that are low-carbon emitting, climate-resilient and affordable. This will be done through low-cost urban infrastructure, public facilities, and social housing units. The project's five phases will deliver about 20 eco-districts or sub-projects, with each covering an average of 5 ha. The project is a large-scale demonstration initiative that will leverage private sector investment to deliver affordable and green housing stock, and redevelop "ger" areas into urban areas that are resilient to climate change, contribute to decreased air and soil pollution, and will provide a liveable urban environment to "ger" area residents. It will also establish policies, mechanisms, and standards for sustainable affordable housing and green urban redevelopment. [1, 2, 3]