Biodiversity, ecosystems & built environment Archives - Page 4 of 10

Delivered by Kobie Brand, – Kobie Brand, Deputy Secretary General: ICLEI

The famed author, Fyodor Dostoevsky, once wrote that “every blade of grass, every insect, ant, and golden bee, all so amazingly know their path.”

It seems that, unfortunately, human beings may be the only element of nature deflecting from this natural path, with consequences and challenges that are shaping our future in challenging ways we did not foresee.

The complex, systemic socio-economic and environmental challenges we are facing nowadays – such as food security, climate change, water security, human health, disaster risk, human-induced species losses, ecosystem stresses and growing economic disparities – all however, still have solutions. And nature provides the opportunity for healing humanity’s relationship with Planet Earth – and yes, indeed nature is part of our cities and very much part of these solutions.

Nature is not only green landscapes, rivers, seashores, mountains, forests, and all that can be seen in a distant vista when one leaves the city. Nature is very much part of our urban environment – providing us and all living organisms with essential daily needs. And nature is not only found in our urban parks and gardens, it is literally all around us, in the very air we breathe, in the flight of every tiny insect and in the breakfast, lunch or dinner you and I will consume today.

Too often still, urban development takes place uncontrolled, forcing nature out of our cities or depleting our green corridors, stripping them from providing the services we so easily take for granted for our very survival. The opposite approach – integrating nature deeply into urban planning – allows both nature and urban communities to thrive together.

Nature and natural processes could instead guide urban planning and design and we can implement green urban policies which provide us with the instruments to reconnect with nature and also make our local communities more resilient to other challenges such as climate change, droughts and flooding, heat island effects and air pollution. Both people and nature benefit when the natural environment in and around cities is valued, cared for, healthy and sustainable.

Rich biodiverse ecosystems in and around our cities improve their liveability and the quality of life for all, but can particularly make a very significant and immediate difference for our most vulnerable populations who are already living on the edge, suffering hardest from the consequences of climate change, water stresses, quality and reliable food supply and air pollution.

There are plenty of great examples where nature is incorporated into good urban development. We know that local authorities have the tools and technologies to mainstream green infrastructure which in turn protects against extreme weather, support urban gardens to strengthen food security, increase green and blue spaces, improving quality of life for residents, and creating popular, safe and accessible recreation areas.

ICLEI member cities boast many and varied successful examples of building cities WITH nature. Stuttgart (Germany) has used regulatory policies and incentives to bring nature back into the city and created ventilation corridors to enable fresh air to sweep down from the hills surrounding the city. They also have over 2 million square metres of living green rooftops that absorb pollutants and reduce excess heat.

Shenzhen (China) is recognised as a pioneering low-impact development model because of its approach to stormwater management. Their main sports centre is equipped with a green roof, rain gardens and permeable pavement capable of capturing over 60% of annual rainfall. There are so many unique and innovative examples of working WITH nature to build the city we want for today and for tomorrow.

ICLEI, together with partners such as IUCN, WWF, UNEP and many others is successfully providing cities large and small with a global initiative called CitiesWithNature. Through CitiesWithNature, local and subnational governments are able to enhance the potential of nature to provide essential ecosystem services and solutions for the overall health of humans and for thriving robust natural habitats within and around our urban areas. Here, at CitiesWithNature, cities and regions can engage, connect, learn, share, act, and inspire each other to work WITH nature, protect, enhance and restore biodiversity – the very web of life we all depend on.

CitiesWithNature brings together over 200 cities across the globe, including Barcelona, Campinas, Rio de Janeiro, Medellin, Los Angeles, London, Merida, Tirana, Edmonton, Malmö, Cape Town, Dar es Salaam, Kochi, Montreal, Melbourne and many other leading local governments.

Among the many benefits and instruments that CitiesWithNature provides is the Nature Pathway, which guides cities on a journey of exploration and inspiration, where they can share with, and learn from, other cities. Along this journey, cities can show their commitments and ambitions towards incorporating nature’s benefits into city policy, planning and decision-making processes and implementation.

The year 2022 and the years ahead are crucial for the environment, with high-level events and conferences scheduled, which we hope will re-energise bold and ambitious international cooperation and new bolder collective action – also in our cities.

The United Nations Biodiversity Conference, COP15, represents an opportunity to transform humanity’s relationship with nature. The Kunming Declaration, as a result of the CBD COP 15, Part 1, is clearly voicing it by saying: “Putting biodiversity on a path to recovery is a defining challenge of this decade and it requires strong political momentum to develop, adopt and implement an ambitious and transformative post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.”

To reap the optimal benefits from such nature-based development interventions, all levels of government along with our urban communities will need to take hands and bring these efforts to the scale we need. And it can be done, if the will is there. Look at Freetown in Sierra Leone, where the city is busy planting and mapping and meticulously caring for hundreds of thousands of trees. The ambition is to plant 1 million trees in and around that one city alone! Bold leadership and whole of society approaches are what the world needs right now to restore our broken relationship with nature.

ICLEI, through its programmes, initiatives, projects and partners is fully committed to this. And we warmly invite all of you who are not yet part of the fast growing CitiesWithNature initiative to join us today! It is free and easy to join. Together, we can.

How cities can contribute

Wetlands are our most powerful ecosystems to combat climate risk, yet they are among the most threatened ecosystems and more than a quarter of wetland species globally, are threatened with extinction.

The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation of wetlands. In total, 172 countries are signatories of the Ramsar Convention and agree to work towards wise use of all their wetlands, designate suitable wetlands as Wetlands of International Importance, known as Ramsar sites, and cooperate internationally on transboundary wetlands. Globally, there are 2 435 Ramsar Sites, covering 254,685,425 ha.

Wetlands offer significant and irreplaceable benefits to people in cities. They can enhance urban quality of life by the multitude of benefits they provide and can address certain urban problems. Wetlands sustain ground water and regulate soil moisture, support biodiversity, regulate floods, regulate climate by cooling cities, and retain contamination and nutrients. Property owners, value proximity to wetlands in urban areas, and studies have also shown positive values for recreation and commercial fishing.

Urban wetlands are precious assets and therefore should be integrated into the development, spatial and management plans of towns and cities.

Recognising the important role of cities in protecting and enhancing the benefits from urban wetlands, the Convention recently introduced a Wetland City accreditation scheme (Resolution XII.10 of 2015). This voluntary scheme provides an opportunity for cities that value their natural and human-made wetlands to gain international recognition and positive publicity for their efforts. The Wetland City Accreditation scheme will encourage cities to highlight and strengthen the positive relationship with their wetlands, with emphasis on creating public awareness of wetland benefits, incorporation of wetland protection into municipal planning and decision-making, and promoting wetland benefits for local people. This scheme provides positive branding opportunities for cities that demonstrate strong and positive relationships with their wetlands.

Detailed criteria for city accreditation are listed in Resolution XII.10 (under Featured Documents on the Ramsar web page). For the first time, during COP13, the Ramsar Convention recognized 18 cities that have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands. These pioneer cities received Ramsar Wetland City Accreditation and will serve as examples and inspire purposeful actions for other cities towards sustainable urbanization.

The 18 accredited cities are:

China: Changde, Changshu, Dongying, Haerbin, Haikou, Yinchuan
France: Amiens, Courteranges, Pont Audemer, Saint Omer
Hungary: Lakes by Tata
Republic of Korea: Changnyeong, Inje, Jeju, Suncheon
Madagascar: Mitsinjo
Sri Lanka: Colombo
Tunisia: Ghar el Melh

The second round of Ramsar wetland cities, currently under consideration, will be announced during the upcoming Standing Committee meeting scheduled for May 2022, to receive their award at COP14 scheduled for November 2022. The Ramsar Wetland Cities Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) reviews the Wetland City Accreditation applications and reports its decision to the Standing Committee. The Committee also coordinates the development of new draft resolutions for the city accreditation scheme. ICLEI currently serves as the co-chair of the IAC together with Austria.

Now is the time for action

and greater investment in the world's wetlands

City and regional governments can look forward to exciting new offerings on the CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature platforms, including global insights, tools to develop local solutions, and new ways to connect with each other and partner organisations.

This year, forward-thinking governments from cities and regions will continue looking for opportunities to work with nature to build thriving communities. The CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature platforms will help them to do this, with new tools, partners, capabilities and resources.

2022 is a make-or-break year for the living world. The course for the next decade will be charted at the UN Biodiversity Summit (COP15 Part 2), scheduled to take place later this year in Kunming, China. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration will also get into full swing after its successful launch last year. As always, local and regional governments can rely on ICLEI, one of the founding partners of CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature, to amplify their voices and connect them with the most important insights and partners.

On the online CitiesWithNature platform, cities of all sizes and levels of progress in working with nature are connecting, sharing their experiences and actions, and benefiting from access to a range of partner organisations and practical tools. Recently, New York was the 200th city to join CitiesWithNature, joining London, São Paulo, Cape Town, Barcelona, Istanbul, Montreal, Melbourne and other cities from around the globe.

Your city can also join CitiesWithNature, for free, here: https://citieswithnature.org/ and receive the monthly CitiesWithNature Buzz newsletter.

Several exciting new features, tools and partnerships are planned for CitiesWithNature and RegionsWithNature to contribute to this anticipated super year for biodiversity.

Action Platform to launch ahead of UN Biodiversity COP

On the Action Platform you will be able to showcase your city’s actions and plans, understand how they contribute to global nature goals and easily track your city’s achievements. The Action Platform is recognised as the place where cities will monitor and report on their voluntary commitments to national and global biodiversity targets, by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in the renewed Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2021-2030).

Get practical advice from the Nature Pathway and new Guides on topics like resilience and invasive alien species

In the first months of this year, the Nature Pathway will relaunch with a brand new, intuitive interface. It will offer a comprehensive roadmap to integrate nature throughout your city’s plans, policies and operations. A new feature, Guides, will also be launched, providing expert guidance on how your city can tackle specific topics, such as enhancing resilience by working with nature, or managing invasive alien species.

Connect with leading partner organisations

The latest partner organizations to join the CitiesWithNature partnership initiative, are the National Park City Foundation – which aims to make cities greener, healthier, wilder and fairer places to live – and 8 80 Cities – which brings citizens together to enhance mobility and public space for more vibrant, healthy, and equitable communities. CitiesWithNature provides cities with a single place to link with leading international organisations such as WWF, Cities4Forests and UNEP. Keep an eye out for announcements of other new partners.

Get the tools, resources and research findings you need

The Tools & Resources Hub already provides access to cutting-edge tools and resources on nature-based solutions, ecosystem restoration and green infrastructure. This year, a Knowledge & Research Hub will also be launched: an online “meeting place” and resource library for practitioners, researchers and other experts, both public and private, to engage and contribute to emerging practices and scientific thinking on nature in and around cities.

Training and an online interface for the City Biodiversity Index

Also known as the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity (SI), this self-assessment tool helps cities to evaluate and monitor the progress of their biodiversity conservation efforts against their own individual baselines. This facilitates capacity building, master-planning, priority setting and budgeting for biodiversity. Training sessions on the tool will be offered this year by Singapore NParks, CitiesWithNature and WWF, with dates to be announced soon. CitiesWithNature is also developing an online version of the City Biodiversity Index this year, which is currently only available as an offline handbook.

Inspire and be inspired on the Community Hub

The CitiesWithNature Community Hub will be co-created by people from cities around the world via social media. It will be open and freely available to anyone from any city to share their experiences, photos, video clips and stories about urban nature.

RegionsWithNature - A dedicated space for regional governments and their partners

Following its launch in October 2021 at the Daring Cities global forum, RegionsWithNature, will grow this year to a fully-fledged platform for regional governments, offering an Action Platform, tools and other features. Founding regional governments that have already thrown their weight behind RegionsWithNature include Yucatan in Mexico, São Paulo in Brazil, Goa in India, Comunidad de Madrid in Spain, the Western Cape in South Africa and Quebec in Canada. RegionsWithNature is being developed by founding partners ICLEI, Regions4, IUCN, the Group of Leading Subnational Governments toward Aichi Biodiversity Targets (GoLS) and others. Regional governments can look forward to the first meeting opportunities of RegionsWithNature in the first quarter of 2021. Join RegionsWithNature here: https://regionswithnature.org/

New York City has become the 200th city to join CitiesWithNature, a global partnership initiative that strengthens collective action and impact to protect biodiversity and reconnect urban communities with nature. New York is taking up this leading position alongside London, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Cape Town, Barcelona, Montreal and Melbourne.

This comes in the wake of the recent United Nations climate change summit, COP26, where nature was prominent on the agenda like never before, and which emphasised the critical importance of addressing the nature and climate crises together.

The escalating decline in biodiversity and associated multiple ecosystem goods and services has implications for the quality of life of current and future generations, adversely limiting our ability to combat poverty, hunger and climate change. As we enter the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, scientists estimate that around one million species already face extinction, many within decades, unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss. (1)

“We’ve been working tirelessly across all five boroughs to bring cleaner air, water, and new greenspaces to all New Yorkers,” said New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio. “As a result, wildlife is once again flourishing, as we build a more environmentally friendly, sustainable city. We are proud to join CitiesWithNature and continue this work with other global leaders. New York City is proof that you can create climate-friendly, biodiverse cities that support the well-being of all of our residents, including those with feathers, fins and fur.”

The Big Apple has been growing ever greener for many years. It has long been a leader on climate action in particular, implementing bold programmes and advocating for the vital role cities have to play in combating climate change. This experience, coupled with New York City’s renowned energy and innovation, is set to inspire many other cities through the CitiesWithNature initiative.

Join CitiesWithNature

New research (2) shows that hundreds of millions of people across the world are concerned that the natural world is under threat, and that number is growing. Citizens are increasingly demanding action from local and subnational government leaders. With more than 80% of global GDP generated in cities (3) and more than half of global GDP estimated to be dependent on nature (4), it is clear that cities have a critical role to play in ensuring nature is restored and protected.

“CitiesWithNature are true leaders, understanding that there is no future without nature. Our urban leaders are taking bold, decisive action to protect biodiversity and restore ecosystems to counteract climate change and ensure human health and wellbeing. We are proud to call New York City one of our CitiesWithNature and congratulate them for stepping up to strengthen collective action for nature and ensure transformative change,” said Kobie Brand, Global Director of ICLEI Cities Biodiversity Center.

On the online CitiesWithNature platform, cities of all sizes and levels of progress in working with nature, from around the world are connecting, sharing their experiences and actions, and benefiting from access to a range of partner organisations and practical tools.

“As ICLEI’s Global Ambassador for Local Biodiversity, I congratulate all of the cities that have joined CitiesWithNature, leading up to New York City being the 200th city,” said Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal. “The City of Montreal is proud to be part of CitiesWithNature, as we pursue our ecological transition to counter climate change by boosting public transit, expanding bike lanes and planting half a million more trees over the next decade. I encourage other cities around the world to join CitiesWithNature and share their commitments and actions through the Action Platform.”

“London joined CitiesWithNature as the 100th Pioneer City, leading by example on conserving and restoring urban nature for the benefit of people and wildlife,” said London’s Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues. “The Mayor has made huge strides in increasing and protecting the capital’s green spaces, securing London’s status as the world’s first National Park City. Over £20 million has been invested to help make London greener, including creating and improving over 400 hectares of green space and planting over 350,000 trees. Congratulations to New York City on becoming the 200th city. Through collaboration we can ensure we take the action needed to restore nature in our cities.”

Urban food gardens, measuring ecological performance in cities, and San Antonio in Texas. What do all these things have in common? They feature in the newest edition of the CitiesWithNature Buzz, of course! Don’t miss the latest roundup of urban nature news, opportunities and events from around the world in the November edition. Click here to read it!

Also read about how more green spaces in European cities could avoid many deaths, the latest Tools & Resources on CitiesWithNature, and the contributions of regional governments at COP26. Have you already joined CitiesWithNature as a city or partner organisation? Feature your urban nature news in the Buzz by submitting a short piece and a link via this Google Form.

You can also delve into past issues of the BUZZ where you will find various valuable reports and resources on Nature-based Solutions, urban biodiversity and more. See the past issues here.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are all the rage, and rightly so. Working with nature makes sense. But urban systems and ecosystems are complex, so using NbS requires smart governance and technical know-how. Find what you need on the CitiesWithNature Tools & Resources Hub!

By Pieter Botha, CitiesWithNature Global Coordinator: Technical Development and Knowledge Management

Nature-based solutions are being used more and more by cities to boost their climate resilience and provide numerous other benefits for their citizens, both human and non-human. The field is developing rapidly, with many new studies and reports being published by global organisations like IUCN, ICLEI and WWF. How can cities stay up to speed and access the latest expert insights?

The Tools & Resources Hub on the CitiesWithNature platform provides easy access to a wide range of reliable resources and cutting-edge tools on nature-based solutions. All in one place, and for free.

Below are some appetisers. For the entire buffet, visit the CitiesWithNature Tools & Resources Hub.

Smart, Sustainable and Resilient Cities: the Power of Nature-based Solutions This working paper for the G20 investigates the potential of NbS to help build smart, sustainable and resilient cities. It covers best practices of NbS implementation in cities around the world and guiding principles for their implementation, with insights from global experts from ICLEI, UNEP, WWF and other leading organisations. Get it here.
Urban Nature Atlas: A Database of Nature-Based Solutions Across 100 European Cities This report from the Naturvation project gives an overview of the Urban Nature Atlas which gathers NbS projects and insights from across Europe. Get it here.
Nature-based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas This comprehensive book explores the dynamics, challenges, and breakthroughs in accelerating the uptake of NbS in cities. Get it here.
Urban Natural Assets for Africa Handbook Series How best to involve community members in planning and implementation of NbS? This handbook from ICLEI’s Urban Natural Assets project provides a collection of creative tools to encourage local participation and action in sub-Saharan Africa. Get it here.

Local and subnational governments that have signed up to CitiesWithNature have access to all functions of the Tools & Resources Hub, but anyone can browse, learn and be empowered to use NbS. In addition, the Hub also houses tools and resources on related topics such as ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation in urban contexts.

Medellín’s Green Corridors Project has created ecological continuity between several natural areas to support biodiversity and people’s well-being in Colombia’s second largest city. Medellín is one of the leading cities that have joined CitiesWithNature. Photo: GlobalCareerBook.com

Bishan-AMK Park is one of the largest urban parks in Singapore. A concrete storm drain that ran through the park has been naturalised into a 3 kilometer meandering river with lush, vegetated banks. Photo: Wikimedia

Wetlands are an important component of our global climate system, and crucial for water security and resilience. As the world meets on climate change in Glasgow, the Convention on Wetlands (also known as the Ramsar Convention) is hosting several events highlighting the multiple benefits of wetland conservation and restoration.

The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands is organizing three events during COP 26:

Financing Wetlands Conservation and Restoration for Climate Benefits – Challenges and Opportunities; 4 November, 10.00-12.00 UTC; Republic of Korea Pavilion; #COP26
Partners for Wetlands: Decade for Wetland Restoration; 8 November, 11:00-12:00 UTC; Peatlands Pavilion; #COP26
Leveraging MEA synergies: Peatland protection and restoration for climate outcomes; 10 November, 17:00-18:30 UTC; Peatlands Pavilion; #COP26

In addition, the Secretariat is also contributing to several other events.
See the overview here.

The Convention on Wetlands has also launched new publications on blue carbon ecosystems and peatlands These publications provide:

Policy recommendations for managing peatlands and blue carbon ecosystems to mitigate climate change.
Best practices on wise use and restoration of peatland ecosystems.
Information on extent and carbon storage capabilities of blue carbon ecosystems in Wetlands of International Importance.

The value of wetlands in and around cities is often still not fully appreciated. In recent years, Ramsar has awarded the status of “Wetland City” for the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands. So far, 18 cities in China, France, Hungary, South Korea, Madagascar and Sri Lanka have achieved this distinction. Read more about the Wetland City Accreditation scheme and how your city can get involved here.

Many partner organisations of CitiesWithNature are doing important work on wetlands. Examples include the following:

ICLEI, through its Cities Biodiversity Centre, is working with the City of Johannesburg in South Africa, inter alia, to map urban natural assets such as wetlands, enhance water catchment management and to better manage invasive alien plant species (a critical threat to wetlands). Wetland Management Guidelines for Building Capacity and Supporting Effective Management of Wetlands within South African Municipalities have also been developed. Read the guidelines here.

The UN Environment Programme works on protecting peatlands for people and planet, as part of the Global Peatlands Initiative. Read more here. Ecosystems like wetlands and mangroves, also in and around cities, are a priority for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Read more here.

Wetlands is also one of the important practice areas for WWF. Read more about their work here and here.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched their new handbook on 3 November at COP26 in Glasgow. The handbook provides detailed guidance to help the world’s cities address warming, which is occurring at twice the global average rate in urban areas.

Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities, prepared with RMI, states that by the end of this century, many cities could warm as much as 4 °C if GHG emissions continue at high levels. Even at 1.5°C of warming, 2.3 billion people could be vulnerable to severe heat waves.

The UpLink BiodiverCities Challenge is live!

The BiodiverCities Challenge is a global call for innovative solutions that are enabling cities to become nature-positive and fulfil their potential as engines of equitable and sustainable development, resilience, and well-being.

This challenge aims to identify, select, and showcase innovative solutions that have been successfully implemented and contribute to advancing the global transition to BiodiverCities by 2030, and help connect them to opportunities that can scale and accelerate their impact.

The best 10-20 submissions will be selected as part of the winning cohort, recognised as UpLink Top Innovators. They will join the UpLink Innovator Network and participate in a one-year Top Innovator Programme, designed to accelerate impact and scale their venture by leveraging the World Economic Forum’s and partner’s broad range of opportunities and networks. Submissions are open from 28 October to 1 December 2021.

CitiesWithNature and its partner organisations are at COP26 in Glasgow making the case for climate and nature goals to be pursued together in the urban context. They are hosting various in person, hybrid and virtual events in and around COP26, starting 31 October and running until 12 November.

Read on for a summary of important urban nature and climate events you can attend (document attached below).

COP26-Update-for-CWN_29-Oct.docx Download

Live from EcoCity 2022: Benefits of Nature-based Solutions in Urban Environments