Climate change represents a serious threat in urban environments, and one that is intensified by the significant reduction of natural green areas, bringing several related and negative environmental consequences. Frequent floods and stormwater management difficulties, urban heat islands effects, heat waves, and air pollution are among those negative environmental effects occurring more frequently all over the world. The European Union (EU) is committed in fighting climate change and aims to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent, according to the key climate and energy targets already launched. It is therefore urgent to take action and implement cost-effective solutions through the restoration of vegetation to improve the resilience of urban areas.
Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are being used as a sustainable and an efficient mean to contribute to climate-resilient cities and bring, generally, very important benefits to ecosystems services in urban areas, especially regarding rainwater harvesting and stormwater management when extreme precipitation events occur. Nevertheless, NBS still remain underexploited, probably due to the lack of knowledge and confidence among stakeholders and political decision makers in these solutions, which is in part due to the lack of tools to evaluate their cost-effectiveness and real ability to surpass the ongoing environmental issues where urban water management and water recycling is concerned. Moreover, a significant gap exists in the literature on the strategies for the efficient and effective implementation of urban NBS, namely green infrastructures, such as the newly developed multilayer green roofs.
This Research Topic will focus on Urban NBS research (rain gardens, and green infrastructures such as green roofs and green walls), and intends to welcome a collection of high-quality original and review articles containing novel contributions of the effectiveness and the benefits of NBS in solving urban problems (rainwater management, greywater/water recycling) and assuaging climate change impacts. Original articles linking NBS to the European Green Deal, 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and climate change are particularly welcome.
The themes include:
o NBS in urban regeneration and re-greening
o NBS and green infrastructure in the face of current environmental, social, and economic challenges
o Monitoring of NBS within the provided ecosystems services
o Impact of NBS on climate change adaptation in urban areas (through urban stormwater management and water recycling and re-use)
Climate change represents a serious threat in urban environments, and one that is intensified by the significant reduction of natural green areas, bringing several related and negative environmental consequences. Frequent floods and stormwater management difficulties, urban heat islands effects, heat waves, and air pollution are among those negative environmental effects occurring more frequently all over the world. The European Union (EU) is committed in fighting climate change and aims to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent, according to the key climate and energy targets already launched. It is therefore urgent to take action and implement cost-effective solutions through the restoration of vegetation to improve the resilience of urban areas.
Nature Based Solutions (NBS) are being used as a sustainable and an efficient mean to contribute to climate-resilient cities and bring, generally, very important benefits to ecosystems services in urban areas, especially regarding rainwater harvesting and stormwater management when extreme precipitation events occur. Nevertheless, NBS still remain underexploited, probably due to the lack of knowledge and confidence among stakeholders and political decision makers in these solutions, which is in part due to the lack of tools to evaluate their cost-effectiveness and real ability to surpass the ongoing environmental issues where urban water management and water recycling is concerned. Moreover, a significant gap exists in the literature on the strategies for the efficient and effective implementation of urban NBS, namely green infrastructures, such as the newly developed multilayer green roofs.
This Research Topic will focus on Urban NBS research (rain gardens, and green infrastructures such as green roofs and green walls), and intends to welcome a collection of high-quality original and review articles containing novel contributions of the effectiveness and the benefits of NBS in solving urban problems (rainwater management, greywater/water recycling) and assuaging climate change impacts. Original articles linking NBS to the European Green Deal, 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and climate change are particularly welcome.
The themes include:
o NBS in urban regeneration and re-greening
o NBS and green infrastructure in the face of current environmental, social, and economic challenges
o Monitoring of NBS within the provided ecosystems services
o Impact of NBS on climate change adaptation in urban areas (through urban stormwater management and water recycling and re-use)