Green infrastructure and ecosystem services to tackle climate change in

Chilean cities

Alexis Vásquez, Pamela Smith, Dayán Martín and Cristián Henríquez

Laboratorio de Medioambiente y Territorio. Departamento de Geografía

Universidad de Chile

alexvasq@u.uchile.cl

Green Infrastructure Research Group http://thegirg.org/

UGI: interconnected network of green spaces that preserve the functions of natural ecosystems and provides benefits to the population.

2

European Environment Agency (2011)

3

UGI: can help to address CC: (1) increasing resilience levels, and; (2) provision of ES contributing to face of CC (mitigation and adaptation).

4

In developing countries elaborating green infrastructure plans to face climate change is just starting…

(1) To analyze urban climate and urban green infrastructure in six Chilean cities.

(2) To analyze the Mapocho’s riparian corridor

and its surrounding in terms of current and potential contribution for to cope climate change by evaluating three key ecosystem services: (a) cooling effect, (b) flood mitigation, and (c) routes for non-motorized transport.

Research Goal

5

1

2

3 4

5 6

Study area

200 m

200 m

Watercourse Length

(km)

Riparian zone

(ha)

Mapocho 54 1,498

De Ramon 7 272

Nido de Águila 4 143

Zanjón de la Aguada 32 1,209

6

Study area: 200 meter buffer surrounding the Mapocho river where it pass through the urban area of Santiago, and beyond 2,000 meters upstream and downstream the built-up-area. This area include 11 different municipalities.

2,000 m

2,000 m

- GIS techniques - Municipal

inventories - Census data

- Field work - Measuraments - Surveys

- Remote sensing - Aerial photographs

Cooling effect

Non-motorized transport

Flood mitigation

Methods

Mitigation - Adaptation

Adaptation

Mitigation

7

Mobile transects Fixed data loggers (HOBO pendant)

Methods

8 Summer, 2011 January 11, 2011 (morning, afternoon, night)

Cooling effect

Air temperature for the two hottest days registered in summer 2011 (HOBO).

Point 4 and 5, that represent border of the stream are 0.5°C cooler than urban reference station (Independencia), but this values are not statistically significant (p < 0.05). 9

Mobile transects of air temperature, noon 11/01/2011

Cooling effect

Transects 2, 6, 8 and 15 show the cooling effect of river stream, in both borders. On the contrary, the transect 3, 5 and 7 are cooler than the river stream.

T16T15

T14T13

T12T11

T10T9

T8T7

T6T5

T4T3

T2T1

-4

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

4

P1

P2

P3

P4

P5

Dif

fere

nce

of

air

tem

pe

ratu

re (

ºC)°

C

Point

West

East

Center

10

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40Perc

enta

ge (

%)

Land use/cover changes in buffer zone

1955

1992

2006/7

Flood mitigation

70% of the city population (around 40,000 people) are living within the Mapocho’s riparian zone and they are affected by floods, especially in the western section.

11

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Perc

enta

ge (

%)

Highway Streets Bikeways

Transport network composition

90.2% of the transport network in the riparian zone is dominated by streets (78.6%) and urban highways (11.6%). Bikeways represent just 9.8 % of the transport network. 12

Non-motorized transport

n=1,240

These riparian parks support urban connectivity because they are used importantly as a route for non-motorized transport and running and biking.

Reason for the use public parks

13

Non-motorized transport

Final remarks

• No strong evidence was found that the Mapocho river and its riparian zone are providing a real cooling effect.

• The riparian zone does not act as a flood protection buffer in most of its course.

• Transport infrastructure in Mapochos’s riparian zone is motorized oriented, especially for private cars.

The main contribution the Mapocho’s riparian corridor (urban parks) to cope with climate change is mitigation of greenhouse gas emission, because is mainly used as route for non-motorized transport.

14

Thank you!!

Gracias!!

alexvasq@u.uchile.cl

www.corredoresverdes.cl

Fondecyt Grants Nº1130311 and Nº1130305

15