Reducing societal risk in a changing climate using nature-based solutions in sustainable urban area development

A rapidly increasing proportion of the Norwegian population lives in urban areas, causing increased pressure on urban land use. Urban municipal policy places further pressure on land use in urban areas by favouring population densification and industrial development in existing areas rather than outward expansion. Estimated population growth to 2050 will exacerbate conflicting land use interests as most growth will occur in urban areas, which already lack space for new housing, business and industry, and green areas. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events related to climate change are also anticipated and green areas are needed to support climate change adaptation to secure resilient and sustainable urban communities. Nature-based solutions (NBS) may offer mitigation of present and future risks and benefits such as GHG emission reduction, recreational and aesthetic value, and ecosystem services delivery. NBS implementation requires land area; thus, a transparent method of comparing development scenarios and management options is needed to balance conflicting interests. SUrbArea will develop a stormwater risk management framework to support sustainable urban area development under a changing climate. We will use valuation indicators for direct and indirect market impacts and non-market impacts, such as insecurity and the co-benefits of NBS, and prepare ready-to-use GIS and climate data tailor-made for urban risk assessment and management. SUrbArea adopts a cross-sectoral approach to municipal area planning, accounting for needs and interests of infrastructure owners, residents, developers, and service providers, and an interdisciplinary approach including climate and environmental sciences, stormwater modelling and management, economics, social sciences, and resource management. SUrbArea involves 12 partners from research, public and private organisations, and forms a co-production platform using real cases from partner municipalities for demonstration.

A rapidly increasing proportion of the Norwegian population lives in urban areas, causing increased pressure on urban land use. Urban municipal policy places further pressure on land use in urban areas by favouring population densification and industrial development in existing areas rather than outward expansion. Estimated population growth to 2050 will exacerbate conflicting land use interests as most growth will occur in urban areas, which already lack space for new housing, business and industry, and green areas. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events related to climate change are also anticipated and green areas are needed to support climate change adaptation to secure resilient and sustainable urban communities. Nature-based solutions (NBS) may offer mitigation of present and future risks and provide benefits such as GHG emission reduction, recreational and aesthetic value, and ecosystem services delivery. NBS implementation requires land area; thus, a transparent method of comparing development scenarios and management options is needed to balance conflicting interests. SUrbArea will develop a stormwater risk management framework to support sustainable urban area development under a changing climate. We will use valuation indicators for direct and indirect market impacts and non-market impacts, such as insecurity and the co-benefits of NBS, and prepare ready-to-use GIS and climate data tailor-made for urban risk assessment and management. SUrbArea adopts a cross-sectoral approach to municipal area planning, accounting for needs and interests of infrastructure owners, residents, developers, and service providers, and an interdisciplinary approach including climate and environmental sciences, stormwater modelling and management, economics, social sciences, and resource management. SUrbArea involves 12 partners from research, public and private organisations, and forms a co-production platform using real cases from partner municipalities for demonstration.