Why local action on urban nature solutions in Africa matters for the world perspective

Urban nature and ways of protecting, designing and even mimicking natural processes are some of the most popular themes inspiring humanities and natural science studies in different disciplines around the globe. Urban nature, green infrastructure and nature-based solutions are three intertwined concepts. This paper will highlight some of the many visions for urban nature (e.g., four urban natures: native, cultivated, designed/horticultural and spontaneous natures) and interpretations of nature-based solutions. While there are some similarities in the interpretation of urban natures by different disciplines, some significant differences exist. This paper analyses and synthesises knowledge from divergent theoretical concepts of urban natures in Europe and Australia, and the associated ecological concepts of novel and designed ecosystems. The complexity of urban natures and native landscapes has fostered the development of several typologies that often lead to misunderstanding between discipline areas and difficulties with practical implementation, such as in urban planning or landscape design. We argue that differences in interpreting the scope of urban nature are often underlined by the specific socio-political, historical, cultural and ecological contexts of a country or region (e.g., Australia and Europe). By applying an interdisciplinary approach, we explore the concept of urban natures by analysing and synthesising links between different disciplines. A transdisciplinary perspective is an important premise for collaboration between ecological sciences and landscape architecture in many restoration projects, or when social and ecological sciences jointly address societal challenges with the help of nature-based solutions co-created using participatory approaches. The latter highlights the role of transdisciplinary research to link practitioners, policymakers and scientists, helping to engage with citizens and inform design. The analysis of several examples from Europe and Australia allowed us to depict different approaches to existing urban natures and methods of their design, enhancement and conservation. These examples highlight that different urban natures are sources of inspiration for nature-based solutions that can be successfully implemented in contemporary landscape and planning practice.

With rapid urban growth posing major environmental and social challenges, nature-based solutions (NbS) are at the heart of urban strategies for sustainability and resilience. They help to maintain biodiversity and respond to contemporary climatic and societal challenges. To be best planned and implemented, they need to consider geographical and socio-cultural contexts, including the local perceptions and experiences of residents. Lack of information on social aspects and absence of data are often obstacles to implementation. This article is part of a study on the challenges and opportunities of implementing nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development in Ouagadougou. This study aimed to explore how socio-demographic factors influence perceptions and experiences of urban nature, and to identify implications for urban planning and the implementation of nature-based solutions. Questionnaire surveys were conducted among 401 people, with different socio-demographic profiles and different places of residence. Group interviews with 20 people were then conducted to triangulate the collected data to understand the different interactions between the residents and urban nature. The main results show that, overall, residents perceive urban nature positively. Perceptions and experiences of nature vary considerably according to respondents’ socio-demographic profiles and proximity to green spaces. The study also identified the need for appropriate maintenance and management, as well as participatory planning to align nature-based solutions with residents’ expectations, with a focus on benefits. The recommendations offered to practitioners, planners, and those involved in urban development for implementing nature-based solutions and identifying limitations, such as a lack of revenue data, provide a solid basis for future action.

Globally, various frames of urban nature circulate, each emphasising particular challenges and natural solutions in the climate context. Yet which actors and dynamics shape their translation to the African context remains unclear. This paper explores the global-to-local translation process of frames through interventions funded by transnational actors, conceptualised as agents of policy transfer. Critical scholarship has observed that urban adaptation and resilience interventions in Africa are often characterised as technocratic and top-down approaches, hence it is vital to understand whether these are replicated through proliferating nature-based solutions (NBSs). The study of a resilience-building intervention in Lilongwe, Malawi, reveals that transnational actors play important roles by deploying frames of urban nature through funding projects. However, rather than involving a top-down imposition of particular solutions, this sets in motion dynamics: in the competition for resources that frames generate, various actor constellations of transnational actors, subnational governments and local NGOs reconfigure or relabel strategies and associated (nature-based) practices to suit global frames and the resources they generate. This shapes who is included or not, and what kinds of NBS are being developed, for and by whom. There is a risk that priorities of communities get lost in translation. Policy relevance Frames of urban nature shape global agendas but also matter locally in the design of programmes and projects. This study provides key insights of relevance for policymakers. First, external funding for climate and resilience is unpredictable and insufficient to address manifold urgent local priorities. It is important that actors at all levels strive to align resources to holistic strategies of local governments and do not impose certain visions for urban nature. For this to happen, and second, it is key that local governments and communities are empowered to create forms of nature that are built around diverse forms of local knowledge and expertise, to cater to values and priorities of the communities. Third, proponents of NBSs highlight their potential to address interlinked climate-, biodiversity- and society-related challenges. However, unless funding allocation puts emphasis on the interlinkage of goals, the potential for NBSs to reach multiple goals can get lost. Fourth, there is a need to disrupt the persisting scepticism concerning the feasibility of NBSs in informal settlements and forge collaborations that realise interventions closely linked to the priorities of disadvantaged groups in African cities, to leverage the power of nature for more just societies.

The global climate change agenda proceeds at an incremental pace while the Earth is approaching critical tipping points in its development trajectory. Climate action at this pinnacle juncture needs to be greatly accelerated and rooted in the fundamentals of the problem—human beings’ disconnection from nature. This paper underscores the valuable role nature and nature-based solutions can play in addressing climate change at the city scale and its implications for broader sustainability. Urban ecosystems (nature in cities) are seen as an integral part of a proposed local climate action rubric wherein policy measures and integrated planning guide lowcarbon/impact development to create more resilient and sustainable urban environments. The use of green infrastructure is highlighted as a cost-effective means to contribute to mitigation and adaptation needs as well as to promote human wellbeing. The paper takes an exploratory view of the influence of ecosystem services, particularly cultural services, and its economics in relation to the individual and society to understand how biophilia can be nurtured to promote environmental stewardship and climate action.

The IUCN Urban Alliance, a broad coalition of IUCN constituents concerned with the urban dimensions of nature conservation, has unveiled a new knowledge product for measuring the ecological performance of cities: the IUCN Urban Nature Indexes (UNI). Comprising six themes with five indicator topics nested within each theme, the UNI is intended to help policymakers, stakeholders and local communities understand their impacts on nature, set science-based targets for improvement, and monitor progress using science-based measures. By enhancing environmental transparency and accountability, and by focusing on improvement rather than fixed targets, the UNI aims to catalyse local action for nature in all cities.

The IUCN Urban Alliance, a broad coalition of IUCN constituents concerned with the urban dimensions of nature conservation, has unveiled a new knowledge product for measuring the ecological performance of cities: the IUCN Urban Nature Indexes (UNI). Comprising six themes with five indicator topics nested within each theme, the UNI is intended to help policymakers, stakeholders and local communities understand their impacts on nature, set science-based targets for improvement, and monitor progress using science-based measures. By enhancing environmental transparency and accountability, and by focusing on improvement rather than fixed targets, the UNI aims to catalyse local action for nature in all cities.

Idea and objectives: Urban citizens are key beneficiaries of benefits delivered by urban green-blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions. However, the delivery as well as the utilization of ecosystem services is tied to local context and therefore, depending, e.g., on the types of locally relevant societal or environmental issues, urban morphology, socio-demographic characteristics of potential beneficiaries and resulting demands for ecosystem services, or conditions of urban nature inclusive of the state of health of green elements. In this regard, citizens may not only act as beneficiaries of benefits provided by nature, but also as knowledge holders regarding local conditions in the broadest sense. Tapping into this body of knowledge, e.g., through citizen science and/or participatory mapping approaches, is considered crucial for achieving resilient, sustainable, and locally relevant as well as more widely accepted nature-based solutions that promote human health and well-being. From a set of diverse cases, the application of a trait-based framework showcases how citizen science and participatory mapping may support urban planning and the promotion, management and/or monitoring of urban green-blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions at the local level.Background: Traits are understood as aggregate features of individual elements of the green-blue infrastructure, including, e.g., spatial, structural, functional, sensory, institutional or contextual qualities. In line with the social-ecological traits concept, these characteristics are seen to shape human experiences, knowledge and affordances, thus linking qualities of urban nature with ecosystem services and therefore, potential (co-)benefits. However, traits may also help to uncover local social-environmental issues including potentials and concerns, thus challenging urban policy-making. The implemented citizen science framework that is being presented adopts social-ecological traits as research theme-related boundary objects, e.g., to explore citizens’ awareness, perceptions and ideas of locally-specific traits. In so-doing, first, potential feedback loops that may shape compatibility of urban green-blue infrastructure elements for specific purposes, uses, and/or users may be uncovered. Second, potential pathways for local action may be identified to support a more holistic and more inclusive management and planning of nature-based solutions.

We propose a new mechanism to solve the fine-tuning problem. We start from a multi-local action $ S=\sum_{i}c_{i}S_{i}+\sum_{i,j}c_{i,j}S_{i}S_{j}+\sum_{i,j,k}c_{i,j,k}S_{i}S_{j}S_{k}+\cdots$, where $S_{i}$'s are ordinary local actions. Then, the partition function of this system is given by \begin{equation} Z=\int d\overrightarrow{\lambda} f(\overrightarrow{\lambda})\langle f|T\exp\left(-i\int_{0}^{+\infty}dt\hat{H}(\overrightarrow{\lambda};a_{cl}(t))\right)|i\rangle,\nonumber\end{equation} where $\overrightarrow{\lambda}$ represents the parameters of the system whose Hamiltonian is given by $\hat{H}(\overrightarrow{\lambda};a_{cl}(t))$, $a_{cl}(t)$ is the radius of the universe determined by the Friedman equation, and $f(\overrightarrow{\lambda})$, which is determined by $S$, is a smooth function of $\overrightarrow{\lambda}$. If a value of $\overrightarrow{\lambda}$, $\overrightarrow{\lambda}_{0}$, dominates in the integral, we can interpret that the parameters are dynamically tuned to $\overrightarrow{\lambda}_{0}$. We show that indeed it happens in some realistic systems. In particular, we consider the strong CP problem, multiple point criticality principle and cosmological constant problem. It is interesting that these different phenomena can be explained by one mechanism.