Beschreibung:
Despite the strong economic growth of the last decades, our modern global society is facing the existential threat of climate change. It is now realized that the linear economic model is not sustainable in the long run and cannot sustain the life standards. The new circular economy approach that is already under discussion suggests the adjustment of our priorities and the re-orientation of the future infrastructure investments. In this context, we are looking for new, innovative and sustainable solutions to increase the resiliency of our societies, to protect and restore the ecosystems, and to maintain the necessary economic growth without further undermining the planet's boundaries. The well-being of coming generations will depend on our ability to adapt our economies to this challenge. In particular, transforming today's cities into sustainable cities is one of the main adaptations that will be necessary. A holistic approach looking at cities from a system's perspective is neededto achieve this goal.Nature-based solutions (NbS) serve exactly this ambitious and multi-factorial purpose due to their inherent ability not only to tackle climate change but also to provide a series of ecosystem services and social benefits. In the urban context, NbS can deal with main challenges such as urban heat islands, flooding, treatment of wastewater and runoff and food provision. At the same time, NbS can provide a series of ecosystem services beneficial for the environment and the society including clean water production, nutrient recovery, heavy metals retention and a broad range of plant-based materials. In the new circular economy paradigm, NbS can contribute to strategies for climate change adaptation and create a holistic resource management system for the urban biosphere.Thus, this book aims at providing a single reference that discusses the role and effectiveness of NbS in the urban environment and how these systems can contribute to the circular management of water, nutrients and resources towards resilient, sustainable and healthy cities. The scope of the book extends to various fields and disciplines such as the built environment, urban water and wastewater, resource recovery, urban farming, smart sensing, research and development, technology and innovation, society and governance. Research studies, pilot projects, and case studies are part of the book.
Despite the strong economic growth of the last decades, our modern global society is facing the existential threat of climate change. It is now realized that the linear economic model is not sustainable in the long run and cannot sustain the life standards. The new circular economy approach that is already under discussion suggests the adjustment of our priorities and the re-orientation of the future infrastructure investments. In this context, we are looking for new, innovative and sustainable solutions to increase the resiliency of our societies, to protect and restore the ecosystems, and to maintain the necessary economic growth without further undermining the planet’s boundaries. The well-being of coming generations will depend on our ability to adapt our economies to this challenge. In particular, transforming today’s cities into sustainable cities is one of the main adaptations that will be necessary. A holistic approach looking at cities from a system’s perspective is neededto achieve this goal.
Nature-based solutions (NbS) serve exactly this ambitious and multi-factorial purpose due to their inherent ability not only to tackle climate change but also to provide a series of ecosystem services and social benefits. In the urban context, NbS can deal with main challenges such as urban heat islands, flooding, treatment of wastewater and runoff and food provision. At the same time, NbS can provide a series of ecosystem services beneficial for the environment and the society including clean water production, nutrient recovery, heavy metals retention and a broad range of plant-based materials. In the new circular economy paradigm, NbS can contribute to strategies for climate change adaptation and create a holistic resource management system for the urban biosphere.
Thus, this book aims at providing a single reference that discusses the role and effectiveness of NbS in the urban environment and how these systems can contribute to the circular management of water, nutrients and resources towards resilient, sustainable and healthy cities. The scope of the book extends to various fields and disciplines such as the built environment, urban water and wastewater, resource recovery, urban farming, smart sensing, research and development, technology and innovation, society and governance. Research studies, pilot projects, and case studies are part of the book.
Chapter 1. Circular Cities Solution with Biophilic Design and Nature-based Solutions.- Chapter 2. The Role of Multipurpose NbS Interventions in Increasing the Circularity of Cities.- Chapter 3. Nature-Based Solutions for a circular water economy: Examples of new green infrastructure.- Chapter 4. Assessment of urban rain gardens within climate change adaptation and circularity challenge.- Chapter 5. The Employment of Rain Gardens in Urban Water Management to Improve Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience.- Chapter 6. A study of Nature-based Solutions via a Thematic Analysis of the Stakeholders’ Perceptions to address water scarcity in a Hot and Semiarid Climate: A Case Study of Iran.- Chapter 7. Achieving Sustainable Development Goals through NGOs-led women’ and young girls’ empowerment programs and activities in Rural Communities: A Pilot Study from the Niger Republic.- Chapter 8. Phytomining as a Nature-based Solution in the Cities of Albania.- Chapter 9. Nature-based wastewatertreatment systems: An overview of the challenges of small capacity plants in an urban environment.- Chapter 10. Bioremediation of Wastewater from the Tanning Industry under a Circular Economy Model.- Chapter 11. Sustainable decentralized urban water and wastewater treatment in off-grid areas of developing countries using NBS and integrated green technologies.- Chapter 12. Geothermal wastewater management to create a circular economy: Taking advantage of the abundant thermal wastewater in Iceland.- Chapter 13. Opportunities and challenges to implement nature-based solutions for urban waters in developed and emerging developed countries.- Chapter 14. Water Sensitive Design and Nature-Based Solutions for the circular management of urban water: Challenges and missed opportunities in the Auckland Region.- Chapter 15. Wetlands as a Nature-based Solution for Urban Water Management.- Chapter 16. Evidences in hydrodynamic behavior along a Float Treatment Wetland (FTW) on a tropical urban stream.- Chapter 17. Trajectory, challenges, and opportunities in sustainable urban water management in Brazil: nature-based solutions for urban stormwater drainage.- Chapter 18. Nature-based solutions for sustainable stormwater management as means to increase resilience to climate change, promote circularity and improve city aesthetics.- Chapter 19. Nature-based Solutions for circular management of urban water in the Built Environment of Sri Lanka.- Chapter 20. The Hydraulic Approach Relevant to Circularity on Sustainable Water Catchment.- Chapter 21. Exploration of Nature-Based Solutions for Management of Perennial Urban Flood and Erosion: A Case Study of Bulbula, Kano, Nigeria.- Chapter 22. Complex micro-meteorological effects of urban greenery in an urban canyon: a case study of Prague-Dejvice, Czech Republic.- Chapter 23. Harvesting of agricultural nutrient runoff with algae, to produce new soil amendments for urban and peri urban olive tree agroforestry systems in Southern Europe
