Sustainable Development Goals cannot be achieved without a healthy ecosystem. As an essential ecological infrastructure of the city, Wetland plays a vital role in improving the urban environment, maintaining species diversity, protecting water sources, and other aspects. This week's In Focus will introduce five innovative cases of urban Wetland. 

Portoviejo, Ecuador 

Liner park: ecosystem-based adaptation solutions on regenerated Wetland 

Portoviejo, in western Ecuador, has been hit by floods and other natural disasters for years. To rebuild the economy after an earthquake and cope with the city's frequent floods, the government of Portoviejo built a constructed wetland park along the river in the center of the town. The park's design is based on the Ecosystem Adaptation System (EBA), which converts abandoned river curves into wetlands.

Wetland parks can not only maintain valuable ecosystems and biodiversity but also provide a large recreation and leisure space for the whole city, thus achieving the role of economic revitalization.

More info: 

https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/portoviejos-linear-park 

This case is :

Originally published on use: urban sustainability exchange. use is an open knowledge exchange platform dedicated to sustainable city making. 
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Melbourne, Australia 

Four-degree Cooler 

Using green infrastructure to build a climate-resilient Melbourne 

Melbourne has been plagued by scorching weather for a long time. To address the problems posed by extreme weather, Melbourne has developed open space and urban forest strategy. The plan's central part is to reduce the city's overall temperature by four degrees by 2040 and the associated energy consumption. This project improves Melbourne's ecological environment and enhances citizens' understanding of urban wetlands, and accelerates Melbourne's sustainable development process from the inside out. 

More info: 

https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/4-c-cooler-melbourne 

This case is :

Originally published on use: urban sustainability exchange. use is an open knowledge exchange platform dedicated to sustainable city making. 
Visit use: https://use.metropolis.org/

Jiaxing, China 

Water supply technology

Shijiuyang Ecological Wetland for Safe Drinking Water 

Due to the accumulation of upstream resources and the rapid development of urbanization, water pollution directly threatens residents' drinking water quality in Jiaxing City. To improve water quality, the government proposes to build ecological wetlands. Aquatic plants in the wetlands play a leading role in effectively removing pollutants and bringing purified water quality from the swamps that come up to national standards. 

The project has improved the ecological and living environment of the project area and the surrounding land. It has promoted real estate development, improved the land value, and laid an essential foundation for the future sustainable development of Jiaxing.  

More info: 

https://use.metropolis.org/case-studies/china-jaxing-ecological-wetland-drinking-water 

This case is :

Originally published on use: urban sustainability exchange. use is an open knowledge exchange platform dedicated to sustainable city making. 
Visit use: https://use.metropolis.org/

Panama City, Panama

Water Dialogues

living with water & wetlands 

Panama City is hit by floods every year between June and December. The surge has brought a severe threat to the residents' lives and the city's economic development in this area. The Panama City government has taken a series of action plans, including constructing the wetland reservoir project. In the face of floods, wetland reservoirs take floods as available resources through flood detention and flood regulation to build a safe barrier for the city and continue to provide ecological services. 

The construction of Wetland in Panama City has dramatically alleviated the impact of rainstorms and floods, ensured the livelihood of residents, and consolidated the achievements of the urbanization process. 

More info: 

https://www.wetlands.org/casestudy/living-water-wetlands-flood-risk-reduction-panama-city/ 

Riba-roja de Túria, Spain 

GUARDIAN

Green Urban Actions for Resilient fire Defence of the Interface Area 

Riba-roja faces an increasing risk of urban wasteland and forest fires. This risk mostly comes from the rapid urbanization process and the inadequacy of agroforestry management. To protect water resources and protect against fires, the local government has developed the Guardian Project. The project adopts a combined strategy based on the use of recycled water for fire mitigation and protection. 

To support this hydraulic infrastructure, the Guardian Project uses existing wetlands as emergency reservoirs. It carries out soil and vegetation engineering to improve the ecological conditions and fire resilience of the forest. The project contributed to the protection of urban wasteland and improved the environmental situation around the city.  

More info: 

https://uia-initiative.eu/en/uia-cities/ribaroja-de-turia