Presenter of 1 Presentation
ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS FOR ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES IN EUROPEAN CITIES
Hall A
Abstract
Abstract Body
Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized for their potential to help address societal challenges imposed by climate change, decreasing environmental quality and threats to human health. Quantitative assessments are essential to evaluate the extent to which NbS actually deliver on this promise. Although there is a growing body of such assessments, these are typically geographically bound or spatially restricted (e.g., single city, neighbourhood or street). We aimed to assess the potential of urban NbS to address various societal challenges across all major European cities.
To evaluate the potential of urban NbS, we applied a scenario-bases modelling approach. First, we envisaged potential positive futures for European cities, differing in the types, amount and locations of urban NbS (e.g. planting additional trees along streets or creating new green areas in residential areas). We then quantified the consequences of these scenarios for the delivery of several benefits of NbS (e.g. air cooling during a heatwave, water retention during peak rainfall, contribution to health and well-being) in 775 major European cities.
In this presentation we will share the results of our large-scale assessment, focusing on the distribution of urban NbS benefits across the 775 European urban areas for both the current situation and the scenarios. The scenario-based approach enabled us to evaluate potential benefits of mainstreaming nature into future urban planning and can contribute to ongoing debate regarding urban sustainability.