Assessing carbon storage and sequestration benefits of urban greening in Nador City, Morocco, utilizing GIS and the InVEST model

Abstract

In the 21st century, tackling climate change is an important challenge, and the absorption of CO2 via urban greening employing photosynthesis offers a potential answer to the climate issue. Within this work, the city of Nador is chosen as a case study. The initiative in question proposes an enhanced technique focused on estimating the advantages of urban greening in terms of carbon storage and sequestration. This technique combines the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and the InVEST model, enabling the study of land use and land cover (LULC) scenarios within the location. These scenarios contain numerous alternatives, ranging from the adoption of intense and extensive green roofs to the establishment of gardens and woodland areas. The carbon storage modeling technique depends on the exploitation of land use maps, reinforced by a bibliographic examination of the key carbon reservoirs. The analysis of results from biophysical modeling indicates a considerable increase of over 45.36 % compared to the existing condition when the option of extensive green roofs is chosen. In the setting of extensive green roofs, this rise reaches a rate of 64.20 %. Furthermore, the restoration of the Gourougou forest north of the city leads to an increase of 70.30 %. The adoption of diverse combinations, such as the integration of green roofs with urban vegetation, greatly helps to further enhancing carbon storage. From a financial perspective, the additional value can range from $2,012,825.16 to $3,601,025.53, depending on the chosen scenario. This financial assessment highlights the possible advantages that might be converted into carbon credits in return for emission reduction, partially offsetting the expenses associated with the adoption of each greening solution. Ultimately, these findings give a chance for urban planners and green architecture professionals to perform in-depth planning analyses.