Water management (SDG 6)

The City Council has passed an ambitious woodland plan designed to protect the municipality's groundwater.By planting woods in vulnerable areas where boreholes have been drilled for drinking water, the use of pesticides or other pollutants in the immediate area can be avoided. Aarhus residents will be ensured clean drinking water in 20 years even though the population is rising.(Ref. 2) New woodlands west of Aarhus will be a magnet for lovers of the open air, and secure clean drinking water for the city's population.(Ref. 1)

The project was about restoration of the Aarhus river. The river was piped during the 1930s for hygienic reasons and to give space for road infrastructure. In 1989, the city decided to resurface the river. The river acts as a green and blue corridor running through the city centre. Furthermore, The City Council approved a plan for the recreational vision of the Aarhus River and e.g. flood prevention measures have been taken. (Ref. 1, 2, 3) The Aarhus Å project was completed in the years from 2006 to 2013. (Ref. 15)

Since it's founding in 2005, the association "Ermekeilinitiative e. V." has been aiming at the transformation of the Ermekeil quarter, a former military base to a communal, generation-wide and intercultural space with diverse ecological and sustainable use. Since the Federal Office for Defense Administration moved out in 2013, the territory was released for interim use. Together with residents and communities, the association turned the territory into a lively, green and mixed neighbourhood with several initiatives taking place in parallel. The community garden project was one of them (1).
The interim use of the area ended in 2016, some of the buildings of the former military base have been sold on the real estate market. This resulted in the termination of most of the Association's initiatives in the area including the removal of the 100 raised beds of the community garden. Parts of the community garden was relocated to a different part of the quarter, however, since 2018 there is no information on the current working and management of the community garden (2,6).

Before the intervention, the dam was a derelict former industrial and recreational area. (Reference 6) It was transformed into a green recreational park of the southern part of Budapest. 40,000 square metres of grass was laid, 700 trees, 20,000 shrubs and 20,000 perennials were planted. (Reference 4) The park now is a home to a biodiverse population of wild birds. It is one of the few places of the city that have direct connection to the Danube, giving space for strolling, doing sport, playing and relaxing. In 2018, a large-scale development began next to the dam, with the aim of creating a new city center. This would make the park a place for leisure for much greater number of people, but may be detrimental to the ecosystem of the dam. (Reference 6)

The Green Bridge at the D2 motorway in Moravian Svätý Ján (Dúbrava locality) is a project under the Alpine Carpathian Corridor Project (ERDF). The project deals with biodiversity and is focused on building a safe and efficient passage for migrating animals over the D2 motorway connecting Bratislava and Brno (Czech Republic). The mountain ranges of the Alps and the Carpathians, which straddle the border of Austria and Slovakia, are the largest sources of biodiversity in Central Europe. The Corridor’s structure has created a forum for the managers of these regions to share ideas and develop solutions that can be applied within the entire region, instead of only per protected area. To ensure long-term continuity, key stakeholders are party to a Memorandum of Understanding that can contribute to sustainability in their area of responsibility. (1, 5, 6)

Opened in 2019, the René-Dumont Park which runs adjacent to a railway is "a centerpiece of the urban composition of the Nouveau Saint-Roch neighborhood" in Montpellier. (Ref. 1 and 2). This north/south 1.2-1.3 ha vegetation corridor represents a major of the city's urban renewal plan and "allows a great articulation among existing habitats, infrastructures and a contemporary neighborhood" (Ref. 2). The large area is considered to be exceptional for dense urban centres (Ref. 2). "The Nouveau Saint-Roch district is an example of a social, generational and functional diversity" (Ref. 2).

In 2009, the city of Montpellier launched a large census project to valorize its abandoned areas. The study gives guidance on the management of abandoned areas in Montpellier, particularly in connection with environmental education and awareness objectives (Ref. 2). The strategy aims to preserve and promote the natural heritage of Montpellier; promote wastelands as reservoirs of biodiversity, tools for connecting natural spaces; protect and enhance the great green flows accompanying watercourses (biological links and privileged sites for fauna and flora); and develop a network of soft transport throughout the city based on the green network (rivers, agricultural, natural and park areas) (Ref. 4). "The spaces have been classified according to their context, their origin, their potential. This sometimes subjective typology presents a classification of the wasteland and makes it possible to take a particular look on each land. Surfaces of all shapes and sizes fall within this operational classification." Four Experimental projects include: Zenith Friche, Promenade of the Lironde, Pastourelle, Combemale" (Source: uploaded document).

"The Lez is a small Mediterranean river 28.5 km long, born from a karstic exurgence whose supply zone extends north of the source, over more than 150 km2. The “Le Lez” site was proposed in February 2001 because of the presence of several species and natural habitats protected at European level. The designated part concerns the upstream course of the Lez river, its riparian forest and associated agricultural environments. Covering an area of ​​144 hectares, the area stretches over 14 km from the Lez sources in Saint-Clément-de-Rivière to the Concorde bridge, in the town of Montpellier" (Ref. 4). Strong economic and demographic development near Le Lez implies urban pressure on peripheral sectors, particularly north of Montpellier where many residential areas are developing. The river became protected thanks to the "Natura 2000 European network" which aims to reconcile human activities and the conservation of biodiversity on the basis of the main principles of sustainable development (Ref. 4).

The agriparc of the Mas Nouguier is an agricultural reserve entirely maintained by the city of Montpellier. Conducted in organic agriculture, the estate contributes to the preservation of the identity of the territory and to the valorization of the living environment. Accessible to all, it offers a beautiful walk in the middle of the vineyards. Apiaries are used to develop educational workshops and to collect honey with school children. Olive trees, centennial pines and a large meadow come to embellish this little bit of countryside in town (Ref. 1).

The current intervention involves restoration of Bohrova park in the city district of Petrzalka with the implementation of water conservation measures (9).