Busscher, Jacob C. (2021) Nature-based Solutions as Strategy for Sustainable Urban Development: A Climate Strategy Evaluation of Amsterdam, Hamburg and London. Bachelor thesis.
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Job Busscher s3809846 Assignment 7 FINAL .pdf Download (858kB) | Preview |
Abstract
With the effects of climate change becoming ever more prominent, cities are using strategies to mitigate and simultaneously adapting to them. Concerned by the effects of climate change, European cities have established strategic climate plans. More and more, cities use nature as a core component in their strategic climate plans. One concept, ‘Nature-based solutions’ (NBS) is gaining reputation within the field of urban planning as well as urban climate adaptation. In this paper the following research question is answered: How do nature-based solutions appear in climate adaptation strategies in Amsterdam, Hamburg and London, and how do they help achieve the U.N. (urban) Sustainable Development Goals? We have established that NBS are “adaptations and risk mitigation measures provided or inspired by nature and continuously supported by natural processes” in the context of climate strategies for Amsterdam, Hamburg and London. We have found that there is an overlap between the indicators established by the U.N. within the urban SDG and in other academic literature. By analysing the spatial aspects of the climate strategy of cities, with the help of an evaluative framework, we clarified to what extent the indicators are incorporated into the cities’ climate strategies and what their contribution is towards urban sustainable development goals. NBS approaches that pertained to the indicators Climate adaptation & mitigation, green management and water management were most elaborated on in the strategies. Sustainable development, flood resilience, nature conservation, increasing or maintaining biodiversity, expansion of ecosystem services in line with the 11th (urban) sustainable development goal, means, that these cities therefore contribute, with the help of nature-based solutions to the USDG. Concludingly, there a number of NBS that Amsterdam, Hamburg and London can adopt from each other, such as London’s Sustainable urban Drainage Systems, Hamburg’s green network approach and green roof programme. Overall the amount of NBS suggested in the strategies are rather scarce. Only London addresses all indicator categories. This suggest that NBS approaches are not widely known within the branches of the municipal government in these cities. The sustainable development indicators, in line with the USDG, that are addressed are climate mitigation and adaptation and water management. Explicit research on the interplay between NBS approaches and urban SDGs would further current knowledge even more.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
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| Degree programme: | Spatial Planning and Design |
| Supervisor: | Woltjer, J. |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jul 2021 11:56 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jul 2021 11:56 |
| URI: | https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3499 |
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