Biodiversity in cities: a route to resilience
Hong Kong has made progress in restorations of oyster reefs which help the nearby waters become cleaner and restore habitats for marine species. That’s because just one oyster can filter 200 liters of water each day, making oysters a natural green solution.
Until recently, biodiversity, environmental protection and improved urban living were treated as mutually exclusive concepts. Now we see the links between improving biodiversity in urban places and urban resilience which is crucial to our collective response to climate change. Environmental economics shows that it is economically and socially sound policy.
Reversing catastrophic loss of species is a challenge for all places, including cities. A healthy natural world is also a healthy urban world, and meeting the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) target to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030 to mitigate the worst impact of climate change has cities globally recognising most environmental policy initiatives are no longer nice options but mandatory for avoiding increased risks associated with extreme heat and flooding. That recognition intensified with the COVID pandemic.
When biodiversity becomes part of a city’s urban planning, it can have enormous impact on quality of life for the environment and for us. Biodiverse communities can address carbon emissions and reduce greenhouse gases, they can create sustainable industries supporting employment, and have the potential to regenerate derelict or less appealing districts by injecting them with fresh environmental, social, and economic value.
Solutions tailored to locations designed to tackle specific risks and needs, such as flooding, rainwater collection, and life support for plant, animal, marine and bird species are being tested across the globe, and having tangible results. Kunming, China, is taking advantage of Yunnan’s biodiversity, and its emergent flower market posted sales 37% higher in 2021 than in 2020. New urban green spaces and parks in close proximity to CBDs are removing tons of greenhouse gases annually and giving residents urban oases to socialise in and migratory birds to nest in, as in New York City.
Seoul made a financial argument with the restoration of 11-kilometres of its Cheong-gye-cheon waterway, which became public realm. The stream spurred a 600% increase across species in five years, a temperature reduction of up to 6 degrees in summer, and reduced pollution and flood risk. In addition, more people attracted to live in the area have helped drive up property values in the immediate vicinity, proving environmentalism also benefits the bottom line.
Read more about how biodiversity leads to resilient cities at Savills Impacts http://sav.li/2al.
