Water-sensitive cities
GUIDES FOR ADAPTING PUBLIC SPACES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
Adapting cities and public spaces to climate change is crucial, especially in geographical contexts like Colombia, where the El Niño and La Niña climate phenomena will further alter rainfall patterns in Colombian regions, making urban and rural populations more vulnerable to floods, landslides and sea level rise, or to droughts, lack of access to water and forest fires.
Cities need to interact more harmoniously with their environment, especially in their relationship with water systems and the urban water cycle. Currently, public space design standards in Colombia do not include Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), such as rainwater harvesting and treatment for reuse in buildings and for irrigating green areas, wasting valuable potable water on activities that do not require it. Integrated public space design incorporating NBS can also help reduce urban temperatures, especially in dense, central areas, and mitigate the risk of flooding related to rainfall.
This study aims to evaluate the potential of public spaces for the adoption of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) and their effectiveness in three Colombian cities with different altitudes, climates, and urban morphologies: Bogotá, Bucaramanga, and Cartagena. The potential of NBS in selected public spaces was assessed using Water Balance modeling, NBS site suitability modeling with the GIS-MCDA methodology, and co-design workshops with water system stakeholders in the selected cities. The results show that the adoption of NBS in public spaces and the development of urban design guidelines for their implementation and evaluation can be a valuable strategy for preparing our cities for climate change and providing better support for urban ecosystem services in Colombia.
