Abstract

AbstractUrban areas face several environmental problems and risks related to water management, such as floods and degradation of water quality, enhancing population vulnerability and threatening urban sustainability. These problems are expected to be exacerbated with increasing urbanization and climate change, which leads to higher frequency and intensity of hydrometeorological extremes. Moving towards more flood resilient cities has proven a major challenge, particularly considering the high concentration of population and economic activities and, thus, high pressure on limited available space. Nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban areas favour stormwater retention, infiltration, and filtration, contributing to flood mitigation and enhancement of water quality. The effectiveness of different NBS on stormwater management, however, is influenced by design and placement aspects, but a network of connected NBS elements can improve flood mitigation and enhance urban resilience. Stronger evidence of the advantages of NBS, however, is still required to overcome the current challenges and barriers impairing their wider implementation in urban areas.

Highlights

  • Urbanization has increased considerably over the last century, driven by the increasing urban population [1]

  • Number of floods in the world is rising since 1950s and this is associated with the changes in hydrological cycle and more frequent occurrence of hydrometeorological extremes [7]

  • Urban water management practices based on nature-based solutions (NBS) are promising strategies to maintain the urban hydrological cycle as close as possible to the natural state

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Summary

Introduction

Urbanization has increased considerably over the last century, driven by the increasing urban population [1]. Urban water management practices based on nature-based solutions (NBS) are promising strategies to maintain the urban hydrological cycle as close as possible to the natural state. NBS improve mitigation and adaptation to global changes. Urban green infrastructure is a broad concept that supports NBS through integration of green and blue spaces in urban areas, sustaining water resources together with maintenance of biodiversity and ecological functions [12]. In the context of urban water management and mitigation of urban floods, similar concepts and solutions based on elements of green infrastructure can be found in the literature and differing in terminology depending on the part of world where they are developed. Ecosystem restoration and climate change adaptation achieved by multiple functions of NBS contribute to the implementation of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and lead to enhanced development of circular economy [15]. This chapter discusses the role of NBS to improve urban resilience and the main advantages and barriers to implement NBS in urban environments

Urban Flood Risk Management Approaches
Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Flood Mitigation
Sustainability and Urban Resilience Principles
NBS Contribution for Urban Resilience
The Role of Urban Planning in NBS Implementation
Effectiveness of NBS
Advantages and Disadvantages of NBS
Findings
Final Considerations
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