Implementing Nature-based Solutions to Achieve Climate Resilience in Ìzmir, Türkiye

Key Learnings

• Community engagement and participation: Involving citizens at every stage of the project has been crucial to its success. Strategies such as public consultations, educational workshops, and awareness campaigns have helped foster community involvement and acceptance, ensuring long-term sustainability.
• Effectiveness of Nature-based Solutions: Vertical gardens, green roofs, and urban forests have proven highly effective in reducing urban heat stress, improving air quality, and enhancing biodiversity. These solutions not only mitigate climate risks but also contribute to a more liveable city.
• Overcoming implementation challenges: Adaptive planning, stakeholder dialogue, and policy adjustments helped address initial resistance and concerns from some stakeholders regarding urban space limitations, including scale, land use, and property constraints.
• Successful water management: Smart irrigation systems and stormwater retention infrastructures have successfully addressed water scarcity and reduced the risks of urban flooding, demonstrating the critical role of Nature-based Solutions in sustainable urban water management.

Summary

Ìzmir showcases the transformative potential of Nature-based Solutions in addressing urban climate challenges. By integrating measures such as green corridors, parklets, and natural water management systems into city actions, the city has taken significant steps in reducing heat stress in urban areas, managing water scarcity through sustainable solutions and enhancing biodiversity and ecological resilience. The success of this initiative underscores the crucial role of citizen engagement, adaptive urban planning, and multi-stakeholder collaboration in fostering climate resilience and sustainable urban development.

Contact

Raúl Sánchez Francés – URBAN GreenUP Project Coordinator
rausancartif [dot] es (rausan[at]cartif[dot]es)
Head of Natural Resources and Climate Area – CARTIF Foundation

Esther San José
URBAN GreenUP Coordination Team – CARTIF Foundation
estsancartif [dot] es (estsan[at]cartif[dot]es)

Sinan Alper
sinanalperrgmail [dot] com (sinanalperr[at]gmail[dot]com)

Berna Ataman Oflas
URBAN GreenUP Coordination Team in Ìzmir Metropolitan Municipality
berna [dot] atamangmail [dot] com (berna[dot]ataman[at]gmail[dot]com)