Wetlands4Cities

The impact of climate change is very significant on medium-sized European cities such as the city of Mechelen (BE) and the city of Tilburg (NL). Both cities face the increasing challenge of preventing flooding and reducing heat stress. In turn, the adjacent natural and agricultural areas have to contend with drought and loss of biodiversity.
Wetlands4Cities aims to make these urban cores and their surrounding nature areas climate proof in terms of water. By addressing this together, urban stormwater policies can contribute to the water-related restoration of the surrounding natural wetlands in the urban fringe.
In doing so, we want to be an inspiration and example for other European cities and regions. With the created and restored wetlands, it is expected realise 380 ha water buffer. It is aimed for that with the current climate scenarios in mind, with the current measures at least the situations in droughts and flooding do not aggravate on the long term.
With the construction of the wetlands and connected blue green infrastructure the areas of wetlands, swamps and open water will be raised significantly. The new and restored habitats will be suitable for the re-establishment of Natura 2000 species.
For citizens engagement we have targeted to have 600 households committed to join the curieuzeneuzen. A citizen science project with sensors installed in their gardens, we will also be able to measure heat and drought in the gardens, providing information on the effect of the measures taken, and the relative improvement on the liveability of citizens.
With this project, we aim to develop a methodology that improves the effectiveness of water ecosystem restoration measures. The Wetlands4Cities LIFE project does this through a collaborative approach, creating synergy between climate-adaptive water strategies of cities and their surrounding natural wetlands.
The overall objective of the Wetlands4Cities project is to establish an exchange between the urban environment and the wetland habitats surrounding the cities of Tilburg (Netherlands) and Mechelen (Belgium), with the goal of increasing the resilience to climate change of both the cities, and nature and agriculture in the surrounding areas. The project team will apply an integrated approach to water management, with wetlands as a nature-based solution for both storage of water and a cooling effect. Specific objectives are to:Minimise the consequences of flooding and drought by creating natural wetlands as buffers, by increasing the water infiltration in the urban environment and by improving the blue infrastructure connecting the city and its surroundings.Increase the quality-of-life for citizens of the two cities, Tilburg and Mechelen, by restoring the natural hydrological system, which would also improve the resilience against flooding, help reduce the urban heat island effect, increase biodiversity, and create possibilities for more recreation in nature.Engage citizens, children and entrepreneurs with the implementation of the project, raise their awareness about climate, and stimulate them to work on climate resilience in their own neighbourhoods and gardens. They can achieve this by helping create water-buffers to enable more infiltration and by reducing the paved areas.Demonstrate the efficiency of this integrated approach for adaptation to climate change to other European cities and regions with similar population density. In this way, the role of wetlands as natural buffers for climate change will be recognised and the replicability will be improved.Expected results:Creation of a total of 380 ha of water buffer in the form of restored wetlands. With the construction of the wetlands and connected blue green infrastructure the areas of wetlands, swamps and open water will be raised significantly. The new and restored habitats will be suitable for the re-establishment of Natura 2000 species.680 tons of CO2 will be stored in the newly developed habitats annually. 4.5 km of stream restoration in the Mechelen region, with more natural eco-hydrological situation.Removal of pavement in 11 streets and over a total surface of 10 000 m2, allowing annually the infiltration of 2 500 000 litres of water.Access to new recreation facilities for 100 000 visitors. 600 households committed to join the curieuzeneuzen citizen science project, with sensors installed in their gardens to measure heat and drought, providing information on the effect of the measures taken.200 households, guided by a coach, take climate adaptation measures on their own properties. Methodology devloped that improves the effectiveness of water ecosystem restoration measures. The Wetlands4Cities project does this through a collaborative approach, creating synergies between climate-adaptive water strategies of cities and their surrounding wetlands.