Tale of Two Cities: How Nature-Based Solutions Help Create Adaptive and Resilient Urban Water Management Practices in Singapore and Lisbon

Abstract

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as viable tools for sustainable urban water management. This article explores the implementation of NbS in two distinct cities, Singapore and Lisbon, to demonstrate that NbS can work in very different contexts and spark new thoughts on the urban–nature relationship and to identify commonalities that drive and enable the implementation of NbS in different context. Literature review-based research was conducted to examine the types of NbS implemented, the common drivers, the governance model, and the plural functionalities of the solutions. The research shows that, despite the differences, the two cities shared common drivers (including water supply, flood control, and resident demand for green space) and goals, such as improving water quality and overall quality of life, through the deployment of NbS. With rapid urban expansion, water use increase, and the impacts of climate change, NbS can be effective tools to deliver integrated benefits and improve the liveability of cities.

Effectiveness of Green Corridor in Reducing the Level of Tropospheric Ozone Concentration in Legnica (Lower Silesia, SW Poland)

“…The purpose of green corridors is to ensure a continuous character of urban green areas (Al Masri et al, 2019). The benefits of green corridors may include: increased and protected biodiversity (Beaugeard et al, 2021), reduced air and noise pollution (Yang et al 2020), urban heat island prevention (Novak et al, 2009, Li et al, 2023, increased water retention (Cui et al, 2021). Tan et al (2016) and Milošević et al (2016) indicate that green aeration corridors increase the impact of vegetation on urban climate, whilst the effectiveness of urban ventilation itself depends, for example, on such factors as the built-up area of the city (Yang et al, 2019) or its surface roughness (Suder and Szymanowski 2014).…”

Hydrological Analysis of Green Roofs Performance under a Mediterranean Climate: A Case Study in Lisbon, Portugal

“…In this context, more sustainable approaches are needed rather than simply grey techniques (e.g., larger sewers and more concrete detention tanks), including various forms of nature-based solutions, such as flooding parks, constructed wetlands, green walls, green ditches, bioswales, porous pavements and green roofs [1,2]. Those solutions fit into concepts and are known in Europe as Best Management Practices (BMPs), and they often include built components that mimic natural features, therefore constituting an environmentally beneficial approach that increases urban resilience [3,4].…”

Large‐scale reforestation can increase water yield and reduce drought risk for water‐insecure regions in the Asia‐Pacific

“…The growing climate crisis has attracted increasing attention to the potential of nature‐based solutions for mitigating anthropogenic climate change, with reforestation emerging as one of the most attractive solutions (Fargione et al, 2008; Koh et al, 2021; Teo, Zeng, et al, 2021). Since reforestation only occurs in areas considered biophysically suitable for forest biomes, it is commonly perceived as an ecologically low‐risk “no regrets” solution, potentially offsetting one‐third of the global anthropogenic carbon emissions annually if fully realized globally (Griscom et al, 2017) while delivering a slew of co‐benefits, such as biodiversity conservation, soil protection, hydrological benefits, and other ecosystem services (Cheng, Huang, et al, 2022; Cui et al, 2021; Kemppinen et al, 2020; Mori et al, 2021; Sarira et al, 2022).…”