Typologies of collaborative governance for scaling nature-based solutions in two strategic South African river systems

Scaled up planning and implementation of nature-based solutions requires better understanding of broad characteristics (typologies) of the current governance and financing landscape, collaborative approaches amidst local complexities, and factors of scalability. An inventory was compiled of water-related ecological infrastructure intervention projects in two river systems in South Africa, incorporating actor, environmental, social, and financial dimensions and benefits. Qualitative participatory analysis revealed eight typologies. Post-hoc classification analysis determined similarities and/or unique characteristics of seven quantitative typologies. Key characterising factors included the complexity/size of financial flows, complexity of partnership/governance arrangements, mandates/goals of actors, type of ecological infrastructure, trade-offs in investment in ecological/built infrastructure, and the model used for social benefits. Identified scalable typologies offer structures suited to increased investment, with other typologies offering specialised local value. A range of ecological infrastructure intervention typologies with differing biophysical and socioeconomic outcomes provide choices for investors with specific goals, and benefits to landscape actors.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01531-z.     

Managing Uncertainty in Runoff Estimation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Stormwater Calculator

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Stormwater Calculator (NSWC) simplifies the task of estimating runoff through a straightforward simulation process based on the EPA Stormwater Management Model. The NSWC accesses localized climate and soil hydrology data, and options to experiment with low‐impact development (LID) features for parcels up to 5 ha in size. We discuss how the NSWC treats the urban hydrologic cycle and focus on the estimation uncertainty in soil hydrology and its impact on runoff simulation by comparing field‐measured soil hydrologic data from 12 cities to corresponding NSWC estimates in three case studies. The default NSWC hydraulic conductivity is 10.1 mm/h, which underestimates conductivity measurements for New Orleans, Louisiana (95 ± 27 mm/h) and overestimates that for Omaha, Nebraska (3.0 ± 1.0 mm/h). Across all cities, the NSWC prediction, on average, underestimated hydraulic conductivity by 10.5 mm/h compared to corresponding measured values. In evaluating how LID interact with soil hydrology and runoff response, we found direct hydrologic interaction with pre‐existing soil shows high sensitivity in runoff prediction, whereas LID isolated from soils show less impact. Simulations with LID on higher permeability soils indicate that nearly all of pre‐LID runoff is treated; while features interacting with less‐permeable soils treat only 50%. We highlight the NSWC as a screening‐level tool for site runoff dynamics and its suitability in stormwater management.     

城市景观生态规划:生态基础设施建设与人文生态设计--以常州市为例

城市景观生态规划是景观生态学研完的领域之一,随着城市环境问题的出现,以及人们需求的提高,用景观生态设计理念来解决城市资源、环境和发展问题已成为当今社会的一个重要课题。本文以常州市为例,探讨以“生态基础设施建设”与“人文生态设计”为重要控制点的城市景观生态规划之路。     

ANALYZIIG RIPARIAN SITE CAPABILITY AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS1

ABSTRACT: Riparian areas interact with aquatic and upland conditions and therefore help determine the degree of functionality (streambank stability, shade, sediment, and debris filtering) found in a watershed or catchment. Thus, conditions in riparian areas exert significant influence on water quality. Physical and biological factors (biophysical determinants) that influence these conditions and determine long‐term site ecology include topographic variables, geology, climate, soil texture, and others. These conditions are further modified by management infrastructure (roads, dikes, etc.). Our objective was to develop a system for evaluating site condition in relation to site capability. Since biophysical determinants and infrastructure interact with water quality, our first task was to acquire data concerning the spatial distribution of biophysical determinants and infrastructure constraints and to import them into a GIS system where they could be managed and processed. To expedite analysis, determinants and infrastructure constraints were placed into a hierarchy capable of isolating various site capability types. The hierarchy was designed to incorporate multiscale effects. Site capability areas are georeferenced in this process thereby enabling efficient monitoring and providing a way to focus management on those areas needing improvement. Study tasks included: (1) landscape characterization and hierarchy selection, (2) field assessment, (3) information management and data mining, and (4) information interpretation and adaptive management. This approach appears to be an effective way to isolate general ripananstandardsmaycon site conditions, to provide indications about water quality, and to create strategies necessary for alleviating water quality problems.     

Water-Quality Performance of a Constructed Stormwater Wetland for All Flow Conditions1

Wadzuk, Bridget M., Matthew Rea, Gregg Woodruff, Kelly Flynn, and Robert G. Traver, 2010. Water-Quality Performance of a Constructed Stormwater Wetland for All Flow Conditions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 46(2):385-394. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2009.00408.x Abstract: Results from a multiyear study demonstrate that a constructed stormwater wetland (CSW) improves urban stormwater runoff quality mitigating downstream impacts. Best management practices, such as CSWs, can comprehensively treat the various scales of stormwater runoff issues. Discrete sample analysis was used to investigate the CSW effect for storm events and base-flow periods on water-quality parameters [i.e., total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, total nitrogen, phosphorous (total and reactive), chloride, heavy metals (zinc, lead, and copper), and Escherichia coli]. The primary finding was that stormwater sediment load was removed through the CSW for all flow conditions during all seasons. The mechanisms responsible for the removal of suspended solids, including slower flow velocity, longer retention times, and vegetative contact, also reduced the mass of nutrients discharged downstream throughout the year. Exceedance probabilities were used to evaluate the expected pollutant reductions of nutrients and to incorporate the effect of natural flow variation on quality. Other findings included the observation that there was no significant difference in the performance of the CSW over two-year-long periods four years apart, indicating that a CSW is effective for an extended period.     

Wasting collaboration potential: A study in urban green space governance in a post-transition country

Most accounts of urban green space governance originate in cities where such initiatives have been successful. Meanwhile, there is too little information on cities where such initiatives develop with more difficulty. In order to overcome the problems that such cities face, their situations need to be studied more carefully to facilitate peer comparisons. This article provides an account of urban green space governance in three cities in Poland (Krakow, Lodz, Poznan), where environmental protection is still quite far down on the list of political priorities. With the use of a social network analysis we looked at the extent of relationships between different stakeholders and the roles of different actors within the network. The results indicate that the network's collaboration potential is barely used and that cross-sectoral collaboration is especially deficient. In particular, public institutions hold a relatively strong position and downplay the role of other actors. More collaboration is necessary and the potential bridging role of NGOs should be used to a larger extent. However, this requires more openness and trust within the network.     

Advancing urban ecosystem governance in Rotterdam: From experimenting and evidence gathering to new ways for integrated planning

To improve quality of life as well as the adaptive capacity in the city of Rotterdam over the past 15 years there has been a lot of focus on improving green infrastructure and finding new ways for integrated planning. As many cities face similar challenges they are looking for novel approaches in urban ecosystem governance. The Rotterdam case can be an interesting example but can also reveal new questions to be researched.Before local policies and projects where developed a regional and urban green blue vision of how to improve overall quality of life using green infrastructure were developed. This provided policy frameworks for politicians, policymakers and other actors. Later on the same was done with Urban Waterplan 2, using the Rotterdam Watercity 2030 vision document as a basis. This vision was the result of a stakeholder based planning process which was made for the International Architecture Biennale 2005. Within these frameworks many interesting projects have been built and tested in the city and city region; ranging from a) a roof park over a railway yard to connect neighbourhoods to the waterfront, to b) water squares and c) digging new waterways with connected walking and biking routes. To go from projects to an overall implementation at city level required tools and approaches for better decision making. For the ‘Dakpark’ project as well as for the Zomerhofkwartier, the first climate proof neighbourhood in the city, stakeholder sessions were held and plans were drawn together with urban planners and landscape architects. To feed these processes even better and to know what would be an optimal solution for certain challenges, city data were studied and linked to scalable GIS mapping in the ‘smart city planner’. This tool gives the decision maker the possibility to quickly have an overview of an area and can be used in a stakeholder process to provide relevant additional information and to define joint projects. The tool makes it possible to do this for all 90 neighbourhoods in the city.Overall the urban ecosystem governance in the city of Rotterdam has – with trial and error- lead to a series of innovative projects. The next steps are acceleration and scaling up to city and regional level. Valuing the crucial role of green blue infrastructure for several aspects of the quality of life in cities are paramount.     

Renaturing cities using a regionally-focused biodiversity-led multifunctional benefits approach to urban green infrastructure

If a ‘Renaturing of Cities’ strategy is to maximise the ecosystem service provision of urban green infrastructure (UGI), then detailed consideration of a habitat services, biodiversity-led approach and multifunctionality are necessary rather than relying on the assumed benefits of UGI per se. The paper presents preliminary data from three case studies, two in England and one in Germany, that explore how multifunctionality can be achieved, the stakeholders required, the usefulness of an experimental approach for demonstrating transformation, and how this can be fed back into policy. We argue that incorporating locally contextualised biodiversity-led UGI design into the planning and policy spheres contributes to the functioning and resilience of the city and provides the adaptability to respond to locally contextualised challenges, such as overheating, flooding, air pollution, health and wellbeing as well as biodiversity loss. Framing our research to encompass both the science of biodiversity-led UGI and co-developing methods for incorporating a strategic approach to implementation of biodiversity-led UGI by planners and developers addresses a gap in current knowledge and begins to address barriers to UGI implementation. By combining scientific with policy learning and defined urban environmental targets with community needs, our research to date has begun to demonstrate how nature-based solutions to building resilience and adaptive governance can be strategically incorporated within cities through UGI.     

铁路运输生命周期评价初探

基于生命周期评价方法,建立了我国铁路运输的生命周期模型,包含电力机车和内燃机车的运行、基础设施建设、上游能源和原料生产等主要过程;采用我国2010年铁路货运统计数据、中国生命周期核心数据库(CLCD)等数据源,通过eBalance软件对铁路运输生命周期的环境影响进行了计算和分析. 归一化分析表明,铁路运输生命周期的主要环境影响类型为富营养化、酸化和可吸入无机物,三者分别占全国相应环境影响类型总量的0.92%、0.70%和0.62%. 对大理—保山段铁路实际建设数据的研究表明,铁路基础设施建设及原材料生产的各项环境影响类型对铁路运输生命周期环境影响的贡献在9.45%(富营养化)～73.55%(非能源资源消耗)之间,影响十分显著. 生命周期节能减排综合评价表明,铁路运输节能减排综合指标的主要贡献来自于初级能耗、NO_x和CO₂,三者分别占ECER(节能减排综合指标值)的30.90%、27.50%和21.60%. 电力机车运输的节能减排效果优于内燃机车运输,其节能减排综合影响比内燃机车低41.91%.      

城市雨水系统中低影响开发与绿色水基础设施及其实例

城市化进程的急剧加快使得中国城市饱受暴雨侵袭的困扰。传统的排水机制是雨水排得越快越好,这就需要加大排水管径、增加排水泵站等,因此更多的的成本和更大的地下空间不可避免。另一方面,雨水完全可以成为资源,而不是污染源。基于以上事实,低影响开发(LID)技术被提出并正在成为城市雨水系统发展的趋势。LID技术从源头减少并延迟暴雨径流和峰值,使开发后的城市水文循环接近开发前的自然水文状态。而基于LID技术的绿色水基础设施如雨水花园、透水性铺装、植被浅沟和景观雨水调蓄池等正在越来越多的应用在城市,尤其是一些发达国家在这方面的技术十分成熟。中国起步较晚,只有少数发达城市进行了LID技术的尝试。但从可持续发展的角度来看,LID技术必将得到推广和应用。可以将LID技术与现有的雨水处理设施相结合,构建符合中国国情的城市雨水系统。