Nature-Based Solutions for Urbanized Areas
Urbanized areas of the MR region are highly exposed to climate risks. In Belgium, extreme precipitations are expected to rise by 7% up to 2030/60 and 14% up to 2060/80 in the GIEC SSP3-7.0 scenario. The number of heat waves (5 consecutive days with temperatures higher than 25°C) will increase from 2 h.w./year in the present climate to 5-11 h.w./year. Climate risks are amplified in urbanized areas by the Urban Heat Island effect, resulting in higher surface (+7°C) and air temperatures (+2-3°C). The other regions/cities of the MR Region are faced with similar climate stress.
NBS4U will deliver an actionable toolkit for the evaluation/comparison of appropriate NBS solutions in urbanized areas, considering both urban/periurban settlements and villages. The tool will allow finding the most optimal locations to deseal (e.g., based on ecosystem service delivery, unnecessary sealing, …) through spatial analysis. The project will monitor the observed effects of NBS implemented in 7 Living Labs dedicated to local climate adaptation. NBS4U will provide effective solutions for involving local communities in the deployment of NBS, considering both private and public actors.
The Living Labs are designed as a cross-border community of practice, involving several pilot actions –green roofs/walls, depaving, swales...– to share experience and technical support between municipalities. Each Living Lab will be supported by a pooling of resources of the 4 research centres associated with the project, to select and design the appropriate solutions. With its 3,88 million inhabitants, the MR region has the adequate size to test and deploy innovative NBS, provided that their applicability in different legal/technical environments is demonstrated. NBS4U will propose new business models for NBS adapted to the larger market of the MR region.
The benefits of NBS have mostly been measured through simulations and in-vitro tests. The project is innovative because it deploys in-vivo solutions to monitor their observed effects in Living Labs, dedicated to adapt already urbanized areas to climate change. NBS4U will test innovative, small-scale, agile governance solutions, that can be implemented by local administrations and/or community groups, which reduce transaction costs (permits, administrative procedure, …) and speed up the greening process of MR cities. The project details the contribution of NBS4U as regard with existing studies/tools.
The main target groups of the project are those in charge of/benefiting from adaptation of urbanized areas: municipalities, local communities, regional/national climate adaptation administrations, research centers, service providers (especially sewage systems).
The technology readiness level (TRL) is assessed at level 4 or above, as the primary challenge of the project involves the operationalization and translation of existing fundamental research. Living Labs are specifically designed to fasten the transition between TRL 1-3 and TRL 5+ and above.
The project is organized along 5 WPs: 1) Actionable toolkit for selecting solutions adapted to the local conditions, 2) Monitoring the observed effects of NBS on climate stress and biodiversity, 3) Innovative governance systems, 4) Cross-Border Market Analysis, 5) Implementation of NBS in 7 Living Labs.
